#SIR EXCUSE ME DO YOU NEED A HOUSEMAID

[shrekisshrimpthesimp]

Excuse me SIR? Sorry Sir? Sorry Sir?

In the wise words of Stanzi Potenza,

ISTG NANAMI KENTO IS SO HOT DID GEGE PUT HIS ENTIRE GEGUSSY ON HIM OR SOMETHING

[lowaltitude]

Falling, Fallen | Arthur Havisham

— Dickensian. AU.

❪ FEM!oc ❫ ❪ slow updates ❫

click here to read on ao3!

───── ❝ description + disclaimer ❞ ─────

𖥻 AU of 2015 TV show Dickensian.

𖥻 Arthur Havisham, the only child of Mr & Mrs Havisham, lives a prestigious and regal life under the guidance of his father. But when Mr Havisham passes away suddenly, Arthur becomes the patriarch of the family. Arthur, being a reclusive man, is not the most wanted in terms of relationships (although he is sought after) but he is needed to keep the Havisham bloodline. Mrs Havisham opts for her son to agree to an arranged marriage. Arthur’s mother, with help from other family members, come down in favour of the daughter of another recently widowed woman. Adline Davis.

— 𖥻 In Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations, Arthur Havisham is Miss Havisham's younger, rebellious half-brother who was a result of Mr Havisham's affair with the cook after Mrs Havisham died. — 𖥻 In Dickensian, Compeyson implies strongly that the reason Arthur's father disinherited him was that he discovered Arthur was homosexual, which at the time was illegal and scandalous.

I, as the author of this story, excluded a lot from both Great Expectations as well as Dickensian. Including any repressed sexuality. I do acknowledge (as well as strongly believe) that the character of Arthur is gay. I do not feel comfortable writing with a male bodied main because it is something that I do not feel included in while writing and is not fun for me to write (since is something I can't relate, and do not want to create an inaccurate representation of MLM relationships).

───── ❝ prologue ❞ ─────

The mirror is the original photograph, one that asks us to value the passing moment. I take a breath and smile, inspecting the reflection of myself before adjusting my necklace, a simple silver chain with a pendant of the Celtic trinity. An the unending knot, a symbol of never ending and eternal love represented by shown woven swirls, gifted to me by my father when he first fell ill.

“You are reflected in your words better than in any mirror” My mother sighs as she walks up behind me, gently moving the hair from my shoulders as I continue to look at my reflection. She rests her hands on my shoulders with a smile, looking at us both as we stand.

“Yes mother, and I assure you I will do the utmost to make a good impression.”

“Excellent.” She smiles, adjusting the top of her dress before turning away from the mirror “It is rare to receive such an invitation”

I pick up the bottom of my dress and rush after my mother as she pulls open our front door, a carriage waiting to take us to Satis House the home of Mrs Havisham and her son.

Satis House was relatively near to our own home, but mother insisted that we take a carriage so they perceive us as deserving of the invitation into their home and lives. I had often walked by the large gates, sometimes hearing many people inside, but after the recent passing of Mr Havisham it seemed as though the laughter and joy it emitted was pushed aside as merely a memory of what had once been.

The carriage pulled to a halt, stopping infront of the large metal gates, my mother gracefully exiting as I straighten my posture and allowed the hand of the gate attendant to guide me down the step.

“Thank you, sir”

I politely bowed my head as I thanked him, quickening my walking pass to catch up to my mother as she knocked on the large wooden doors. Many lavish celebrations and meetings for their business were held here at Satis House, although it is a depressing place with barred windows, and the house sends a message of a desperate need for protection and security.

The door opens, a housemaid allowing us into the large entry hall of the lavish interior, before she she excuses herself to tell Mrs Havisham we have arrived as per her request.

“Adline.” My mother whispers as we see a woman emerge from a far room, urging me to thank her for having us in her home.

“Good afternoon, Mrs Havisham” I bow my head as she nears us “It is a true pleasure to meet you and join you for an afternoon in your residence. My mother and I are very grateful for the invitation and we hope to make a good impression this evening.”

“Lovely to have you both here. You truly were gifted with this young lady, Mrs Davis" Mrs Havisham looks at my mother, seemingly impressed. I begin to feel embarrassed by the compliment, and that she had not even thought twice about talking about me to my mother as I stood beside her.

Mrs Havisham turns as she hears footsteps coming down the large staircase

"I, on the other hand, have not had the same luck. My son, Arthur, is very timid.”

Our of us women turn our attention to the boy, seemingly a few years older than me, as he stops at the bottom of the staircase.

“Mother, you have guests” He seems surprised “I am sorry. I was unaware of your arrival”

He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. I guess he must be used to that by now. The sudden pause in my natural expression when I looked his way followed by overcompensating with a nonchalant gaze and a weak smile. Of course the blush that accompanied it was sure to be a dead give-away that I had found him attractive.

Mrs Havisham smiled as her son walked over to us, going our conversation. “Arthur, my dear, this is Mrs Davis” She gestured to my mother, earning a small greeting from her son.

“And her lovely daughter, whom I’m sure you will keep her entertained while Mrs Davis and I speak with one another?”

“Of course, mother” He nods. Both women bidding us farewell before disappearing into the depths of the house, leaving the young Mr Havisham and I.

“Would you give me the honour of walking together through the gardens?”

I give him a small smile, thankful that he was trying to make light of the somewhat awkward situation we had now been put in.

“I would be delighted Mr Havisham”

He turns heel, I am assuming in direction of the garden, and I take a few large strides to walk alongside him.

“My mother has spoken highly of you and your mother” He says breaking the silence “How Mrs Davis had a quite beautiful daughter, one which I should meet. Now that I have been graced with your presence I am assured that is in fact true”

I felt my face begin to flush, although of course I believe Arthur was using flattery as a means of simply becoming acquainted with one another faster.

“Thank you, Mr Havisham, for the compliment. Although I do wonder how your mother was able to speak so highly of me without ever meeting.”

We arrive in the gardens, a large area perfectly reflecting the beauty of spring. The bushes, grass and trees all different shades a vivid shade of and beautiful greens. A wide array of colourful flowers scattered throughout.

I step towards a large patch of pale blue flowers, lifting my dress and kneeling in-front of them as I pluck one from the ground.

The spring flowers are chaos in seemingly perfectly choreographed order, they are a natural piece of art, the brilliance this world needs.

“A beauty equal to no other” I mutter as I stand, offering Arthur a closer look at the beautiful petals.

Arthur looked at me questioningly before adjusting his focus to the flower, taking it from me with his hand lightly grazing mine.

I watch him in slight adoration as he inspected the tall flower’s lace-like leaves.

He was handsome from the depth of his eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice. No one feature makes a man so handsome, though Arthur’s eyes come close.

“Love-in-a-Mist” I say, causing Mr Havisham to look at me once again with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Pardon?’

“That is what the flower is called, a Love-in-a-Mist.” I laugh slightly “Nigella damascena.”

“You know plants?” He questions, slightly surprised “I would never have assumed a lady such as yourself would enjoy nature to such an extent.”

“I love and appreciate the world I am lucky enough to live in, admiration of the simple things is a true joy everyone can experience.”

Arthur smiled as he passed the flower back to me, a smile unlike any he had previously shown. A smile of happiness growing, much like the spring flower that now surrounded us opened. I could see how it came from deep inside to light his dark brown eyes.

My attention shifted from Arthur towards my mother as she walked into the garden with Mrs Havisham at her side.

“Adline” My mother calls, Arthur now turning to face the women “We should be departing now.”

I nod before looking to Arthur. “It was wonderful meeting you Mr Havisham.”

Arthur gently and effortlessly caught my hand in his, bringing it up to his face pressing his lips to the back of my hand as a gesture of courtesy.

“Farewell, Mrs Davis”

I smooth my dress, keeping the flower in my hand as I begin towards the women.

“I see you and Arthur have become well acquainted with one another” Mrs Havisham smiles as I approach them “I’m sure you’ll enjoy more time together soon.”

I nod, my mother linking my arm and walking with me down the halls. I glance behind me as we get to the door, watching Arthur embrace his mother before I step out the door. I slightly trail behind my mother as we walk away from the Satis House and out the front gate, smiling at the man again as he opens and closes it behind us before taking a seat in my family carriage.

“Was your time with Mr Havisham enjoyable?” My mother asks as the carriage starts moving forward.

“Somewhat” I shrug, looking down at the flower in my hands “What did you and Mrs Havisham confer about.”

“You shall know soon, once Mrs Havisham and I have discussed more. We will be returning to Satis House tomorrow evening for dinner.”

I hum in response, acknowledging the plans and keeping my eyes on my hands as I run my fingers over the petals of the flowers.

───── ❝ author’s note ❞ ─────

✎ Huzzah! This story is currently unfinished and being written in the notes app of my phone and ipad. Hopefully the story will improve once I get a new computer and can properly write and edit, more coming soon! All the love, ALT ᵔᴗᵔ

[sweetwolfcupcake]

Allurement: Schemes

Yandere Namjoon x Reader

"We shall arrange for the reports—"

"Good morning there, doctor, uh..." Namjoon wanted to roll his eyes at Yoongi storming into the room.

"Could we have a minute please?" Namjoon asked the doctor, who agreed immediately and left the two alone, with his father's dead body.

"He is dead?" were Yoongi's first words as soon as they had some privacy, he whispered into Namjoon's ear out of caution.

"Yes, as we can see, time of death, 8 AM, oh wait, I have to make a call to our housemaid."

"What do you mean there are a lot of housemaids in the mansion, they can run things under Mr Hak just fine, but the mess you have—"

"Oh, no, not the mansion, my penthouse, I need to call the maid. Please excuse me." with that,  Namjoon strode away towards a corner of the room. The maid had picked up her call within two rings. She greeted him but Namjoon had no time for pleasantries "Listen, the door of my bedroom is locked, and it is supposed to stay locked. Get (Y/N) a healthy breakfast that she would like as soon as you reach the house. She did not have dinner last night. So make it heavy, and do not let her out of the room, okay? As soon as you step out of the room, just lock it right back, she needs to rest a bit. Is it clear?"

"Uh...Okay, sure, Sir."

"Okay, good, thank you, please let me know if you need anything." with that, he cut the call and walked back to Yoongi, who had his tongue picking his cheek. He was pissed.

"I don't believe you, you...Look at you, look at the mess we have with us right now!" Yoongi hissed, folding his arms in front of his chest. "I thought you only wanted to have him bed-ridden. Where did the 'let him rot away' go?"

"Yes, that was the plan initially, but I changed it last night."

"After he and Choi abruptly publicised the engagement? Wait...(Y/N) knows about it by now then, you are calm Namjoon." he was visibly shocked at the outcome, and he would not blame Yoongi for that.

"Yes, she does, and thus he paid for creating the whole mess. Besides, he wanted to plant Mr Choi into the Board of Directors, so that he could hold the strings, you told me yourself." Yoongi was shaking his head at his words "I just asked Mrs Kwon to increase the dosage. Nobody is going to find out, the drug is gone into the blood by now, undetected. Stop worrying hyung."

Yoongi sighed and held Namjoon by his shoulder, his grip was tight and his eyes, as rarely as they would be, expressed deep emotions "The Board of Directors are not going to unsee this, do you think Choi Wonshik would ever let go of the opportunity of power? Your father wanted the companies merged, and Choi would not let this go, he is just like your father. Do you think he would not suspect you? They are not going to spare us, you know that, the Board."

"I know that hyung. You know me, come on. You think I did not see it coming?" Yoongi sighed, visibly relaxed, at least less agitated

"What do you want me to do?" he asked after a brief silence.

"Nothing much, just arrange some document that would help." Yoongi got the hint and nodded.

"What about Mr Hak?"

"Other than he was panicked and had been on call while the doctor inspected the body, I do not see him as much of a threat. In fact, he could some handy, he is stupid." Yoongi nodded with a shrug.

"You never know, so, just be careful. The man knows a bit too much about the household." Namjoon nodded at Yoongi's words, the older's observation was sometimes beyond everyone else, even Namjoon sometimes.

"And how did you manage to dig up so much on Choi Wonshik and father's deal? Not even the Board knew of this." Namjoon was as curious as he was impressed.

"I have my ways." Yoongi only smirked with the words.

Namjoon sported a playful frown of suspicion, ready to fire back but his phone rang at the moment. It was the housemaid "Yes?"

"Sir, Ms (Y/N) is not in the room!" she sounded frantic, Namjoon frowned at that, feeling his heart cease for a moment.

"What do you mean? She- the door was locked." he grew tensed with each passing moment.

"No, Sir, it was wide-open when I got there, the back door is open as well. The watchman—" Namjoon cut the call abruptly before taking up his coat and wearing it hastily.

"What happened? You look nervous." Yoongi was quick to see the air around him changing.

"There is an emergency I had not planned for. Please take care of the rest from here." with that, Namjoon was striding out of the room with his mind running much faster than his feet.

****

So, what do you think?

Taglist(Kindly remind me later if I missed anyone)- @whatpageisthis @amoc94 @theresa-nam-nam-me @dearbambideer @casualminiaturetimemachine @njrwifey @kpopisnicee @illnevertrustmyselfagain @potterbrooke @luvaffaire @bighitfics @mochimochipie @vixenwerr @minshookie29 @sepulcry @omgsuperstarg @rkive-diary @nananalifeisdynamite @sumzysworld @waterdemon11 @joonswolf @control-trol-trol @zaeminz

[jaefluenza]

Make It Up | L.Taeyong

Genre: single parent!au, suggestive content, fluff with a little bit of angst

Pairing: CEO!Taeyong x Secretary!reader

Word count: 11,2k words

Summary: Spending a lot of time with your boss’ daughter was probably a bad decision for you. Before you even realize that you dipped your feet in the water, your body was already drowning. Will you able to escape the maze between your feelings and professionalism?

singledad!ty is a dream periodt

“Do you want me to bring you coffee, sir?” You asked him calmly. During an intense meeting like this, no one could approach him just to offer him a drink, except you.

“Yes, please. Oh, and this meeting will not be finished until we solve the problem. So, I want you to pick taehee up from her daycare.” He ordered.

“Yes, sir.” You bow politely to your boss before proceeding to leave the room. You sneak a glance at Johnny on your way out, cringing along with him as you cheer on him and the rest of the team with your body language.

You work in a game development company as the main secretary of the CEO, Lee Taeyong. The company stocks were expected to be increased by the end of the month. But someone decided to be a dick and spread some false rumors about one of the game made by the developing team. So the stockholders were complaining against the CEO and now he’s as angry as a hungry lion.

The sound of your heels clicking could be heard all over the hall. You walk at a fast pace in your pencil skirt to the parking lot. Mr. Lee never trusts his daughter to anyone except you, not even his personal driver. You don’t understand why you’re the only woman he could trust his daughter to, even though he has a girlfriend. You spend a lot of time with Lee Taehee, the true heir of your company, more than your family.

You smiled in satisfaction when you reach the luxury daycare. You lock your boss’ car as you walk into the huge lobby. You greeted the receptionist, smiling politely. “Hello, ms. Y/n. I’ll bring Lee Taehee for you.” The woman greeted you back before calling the teacher from the toddler’s class to bring Taehee.

A minute later, a joyful kid runs towards you. You smile and squat down to welcome her in a hug. “Our beautiful Taehee!” You greeted. “Hi, Y/n!” She inhaled your sweet scent before pulling away. “Where’s daddy?” She asked.

“Well, daddy’s got a meeting and he couldn’t pick you up. He said sorry though,” You explained.

You can feel your heart melted when she pouts, “Uh, did he told you to buy me ice cream though?”

You laughed as you took her arms and bow politely to the staff before walking her out to the car. “Of course, let’s go get ice cream!” 

After helping her to put on the seat belts, you start the engine and goes to the little princess’ favorite ice cream parlor. 

“Actually, daddy promised to take me and kkoma to the pet park. But I don’t think he’s available tonight.” The little girl pouts. You always feel sad for Taehee. With her dad always got drown in work, she plays alone most of the time. Taeyong never hires a nanny or a babysitter into the big penthouse because he could never trust any stranger to be in the house. You’ve been working for almost two years that he could finally trust his daughter to you. 

“It’s okay. I can play with you. You’re gonna show me the book you bought last week, right?” You comforted her before you wipe some ice cream leftovers around her lips. Taehee’s eyes lit in happiness after knowing she’ll have someone to play with tonight. “Really? Yeah, let’s play with the new toys daddy bought me yesterday, too!”

Your phone rings continuously as you unlock the big penthouse in the middle of the frenetic Seoul city. You told Taehee to go into her bedroom while you answer the call. “Good evening, Mr. Lee. What can I help you?”

“You forgot to hand me the rest of the schedule. Well, what am I supposed to do tomorrow? No meetings, right?” He chuckled. You feel relieved when you heard his relaxed tone as an indication that he’s no longer angry like he has been since this morning. “Oh, yeah, I’m very sorry, sir. Well, you got no more team meetings tomorrow. You only need to meet some of our directorates and that’s all.” 

You heard Taeyong groans over the phone, “Urgh, those old men again, huh?” You chuckled before you reply, “Actually, you missed a very very important schedule for tonight, boss.”

He furrowed his eyebrow upon hearing your words. “What- Oh shit. Yeah, my god, I’m a terrible dad. Yeah, please tell her I’m sorry and I promise I will take her tomorrow evening.”

You smiled before you reply with a nod, “Already did that.”

“And please be with her for tonight, I will stay in Jennie’s apartment. I need some kind of stress relief.” Taeyong said nonchalantly. You frown because you know he can’t see you. “Alright, good night, boss.”

You sigh, feeling terribly sad for Taehee. For you, Taeyong’s girlfriend is being really selfish. She never wants to stay at the penthouse because she can’t do chores or cook. She barely voluntarily spends any time with Taehee, and she bluntly told Taeyong that she doesn’t really like kids. You can’t believe that your boss chose that kind of girl to be his future second wife but then again, it’s none of your business.

“Y/n? Are you finished with the call? I’m shivering..” Taehee called from her bathroom. You mentally facepalmed yourself as you rushed into her bathroom. “I’m sorry! I’ll bring your squishy ducks!”

“Taehee, I’m staying with you tonight. Daddy said he won’t be able to go home tonight. He said he’s really sorry that he couldn’t take you and kkoma to the pet park and that he promised he will bring you tomorrow evening.”

Taehee sighs, “Another promise... It’s okay, as long as you’re here, I’ll be fine.” You feel a motherly happy feeling when she said that and something inside of you melted from the warmth feeling. “That’s my pretty girl. Come on, show me what daddy bought you yesterday.”

You open your eyes slowly at the ray of the morning sunshine. You look back at Taehee who’s still sleeping soundly in your arms. You gently untangled her hands away from you before pulling up the blanket to cover her more. You get out of bed to prepare breakfast until you stop in your track because of a picture on Taehee’s little study desk. 

You recognize your boss’ writing under the picture: “Mommy.” You look longer at the picture, noticing how much resemblance this woman has with Taehee. “She has her nose and lips.” You mumbled. In a brief time, you remembered what Taehee told you about her mother.

“Daddy told me that mommy has gone to heaven. I never got to see her face, but this is the only picture I got from grandma. She said mommy died when she delivered me into this world. I don’t even know what that means.”

You glance back at the sleeping toddler, feeling sorry for her to not having a mom at such a young age. Your boss never tells you anything about his private life but spending a lot of time with his daughter makes you know everything because you know how little kids don’t lie, right?

You put the picture back on the study desk before leaving the bedroom to cook breakfast. You remember Taehee wanting to eat some soup yesterday so you decided to cook a chicken soup for her and also you. You were chopping some onions when you heard the door getting unlocked. You furrowed your eyebrow at how he got home early in the morning.

“Good morning, boss. Did you have breakfast?” You greeted him as he lets himself fall on the couch in the living room. “Hey, and nope. Give me a bowl of whatever of that thing you just cook, please.” 

You simply nod even though you badly want to ask him why he didn’t have breakfast at her home but you know exactly what the answer is. “Why don’t you go to her room, sir? She’s still sleeping, I guess.” You suggested. Taeyong nods in agreement before walking wearily to his daughter’s room.

Taeyong crept into the cute kiddy room before jumping down on the bed to wake his little monster up. “Good morning, my princess. It’s time to wake up!” He coos as he cuddles into taehee’s little arms. “Hm,” Taehee groans cutely at his dad who bothers her in her sleep before opening her eyes slowly, “Hi, daddy.”

Taeyong showered the smaller one with kisses, smiling at how she reacts cutely to the kisses. “Where’s Y/n? Did she went home?” Taehee asked before wriggling out of her dad’s arms. “No, she’s cooking. Let’s bath you up before we have breakfast.”

You finished cooking the soup at the same time when your boss has his daughter in his arms, walking together to the kitchen with growling stomachs. “Wow, chicken soup! Thanks, Y/n! you’re the best!” Taehee claps her little hands when she saw the meals you put on her high chair. You nod happily as you see Taeyong digging his food already. “At this point, I may be applicable to be your housemaid, boss.” You smile teasingly. He laughs it off, “Don’t worry, I’ll raise your salary.” He smirked. Oh, that goddamn smirk, you thought. 

“No, sir. I’m just joking.” You laugh along with him, before taehee speaks up nonchalantly. “I think, at this point, you may be applicable to be my mom.” She copied your word while chewing on the chicken innocently. You glance awkwardly at your boss who chocked on his soup. You bring him a glass of water before laughing awkwardly. 

“Taehee, you can’t just say things like that to Y/n.” Taeyong scold his cute daughter gently. Taehee nods as she grins on you. “Excuse me, sir. I think I have to go home. I will meet you in your office.” You bowed politely to both your boss and the smaller boss. “Bye, taehee.” You wave her goodbye and she waved back. Gosh, that was so awkward.

“Why can’t we just compensate them with free diamonds or a new special customized weapon? Why do we have to lose millions of stocks just because of some morons?” Taeyong groans with his hands folded in his chest.

His directorial advisor sighs, “No, we can’t just do that, Mr. Lee. The developing team may be able to do that by noon but our directorates will not tolerate that kind of compensation. It’s not fair to our in-app purchasers. And people will just spread more rumors for us to give them more free diamonds and weapons.”

You knocked before you enter the room with CEO Lee’s prepared meeting suits and his proposal papers.

“Excuse me, Mr. Lee. Our directorates are coming in ten minutes. We should be getting ready for your proposal.

Taeyong nods, thanking you mentally for saving him from the frustrating conversation.

You bowed to the middle-aged man before trailing behind your boss to the meeting room.

Being alone with your boss after the awkward conversation with his daughter this morning is killing you softly.

You distract yourself by organizing some papers and preparing drinks on the table. You feel a pair of eyes on you as you pass around the room.

Taeyong cleared his throat before speaking up to you, “Uhm, I remembered you didn’t have breakfast with us earlier, have you eat?” He asked.

You glance at him awkwardly, “Y-yeah, I.. have, thank you for worrying.”

“You don’t have to be all formal and polite to me you know. We’re almost at the same age.”

You smile, “It’s alright, Mr. Lee. You are my boss and this is office hours, also I’m two years younger than you, so this should be my preferable manner to you, sir.”

“Well, that’s understandable. Uh, and about our conversation this morning. You didn’t wholeheartedly take her words, right?” He asked.

Ah, those awkward goosebumps are coming back.

“Of course, no, Mr. Lee.” You fake a smile.

“Good, then, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around Taehee and I. Afterall, you spend a lot of time with her more than Jennie and I did these past few years.”

You only nod, not wanting to continue the conversation.

You thanked the directorates for coming in a great timing just so you can immediately leave the room. You walked wearily towards your table beside Johnny’s before leaning your head onto the table.

“What’s with the frown, Miss Secretary?” Johnny glance at your table beside him with a teasing smirk.

“Shut up, John. You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“Tell me, maybe this wise oppa can give you the right answer for every question you have.”

You rolled your eyes before turning into him, “Taehee literally just asked me to be her mom this morning.”

Johnny didn’t show any expected reaction, which makes you furrowed your eyebrow.

“Aren’t you her mom already? You practically live at his penthouse more than his girlfriend does.”

You hit his arms playfully before protesting, “Shut your mouth! You and the developing team are the only people who knew I helped Mr. Lee’s daughter, okay? Don’t be a big mouth..”

Johnny laughs quietly, “Yes, ma’am.”

You keep thinking about Johnny’s words earlier. Every staff in the daycare know how you act motherly towards taehee. Some of her friends’ mom even called you taehee’s mom before you clarified that you’re only her dad’s assistant.

You remember bringing Taehee to your family’s Thanksgiving dinner because Taeyong decided to go to a romantic dinner with his glorious girlfriend instead of spending time with his daughter. Your family loves Taehee, even allowed Taehee to call them family names. You remember Taehee being very happy that night, “this year’s thanksgiving is better than any thanksgiving year with my grandpops and dad.”

Your concern is, does taehee really think of you as her mother, just because you spend time with her more than her future mother did? You don’t exactly think so, but the situation tells you otherwise.

Your thoughts were interrupted by your alarm, reminding you about the meeting. You immediately move from the snack bar, and leave to assist your boss after the meeting.

“How’s the meeting, boss? Did it went well?” You greeted.

He smiled in satisfaction before nodding at you, “Yeah, I managed to convince them about the compensation. We made a great deal. Well, I don’t have any working schedule left, right? Let’s take taehee and kkoma to the pet park.” He suggested cheerfully.

You smile along with him, feeling glad that everything went well. “Alright, sir. I’ll have Mr. Han ready with the car. Have fun, sir.” You bowed politely.

He stopped in his track before he turns back to you, “No, you’re coming with us.”

Your jaw drops. Is he seriously asking you to go with him and his daughter, on a private trip? “Why am I coming with you, Mr. Lee? Perhaps, Miss Kim is not available?” You asked.

“I haven’t asked her yet. I just thought that Taehee would be happy if you tag along.” He explained with a smile. “Well, if you have another plan for today, it’s okay.”

You nod immediately. “No, I’m completely free, Mr. Lee.”

“Aye, you can drop the formalities. It’s past office hours. You can be comfortable around me and Taehee. Just call me Taeyong.”

“Taehee!” You greeted Taehee as she ran to hug you. So, Taeyong and you decided to pick Taehee up from the daycare before getting kkoma the poodle in the penthouse. She looks at her dad with sparkly eyes, “Is she coming with us?” She asked excitedly. Taeyong nods, smiling at his daughter who seems to like being with his assistant more than him. “Thank you, daddy!” She pulls away from you to hug her daddy’s legs. Taeyong smiled even wilder, before lifting his daughter to give her kisses. 

“Now, it’s time for you to get in the car and put the seat belts on.” 

You watch as Taeyong puts his daughter on the car seat. You get on the passenger seat in front, putting your own seat belts, listening to the father and daughter playing around. 

“Alright, let’s go!”

Fifteen minutes later in the parking lot, Taeyong and you are debating about who’s going up to get kkoma. You insisted to go up so Taehee declared that you win the debate and the three of you laughed. 

“I’ll be back with kkoma.” You smiled before closing the car door.

“Bye, Y/n!” Taehee waved at you.

You went to the penthouse, walking towards the only front door on that floor, before stopping upon seeing someone standing in front of the door. 

You immediately bow, “Good afternoon, Miss Kim.” 

Jennie looks at you with a furrowed eyebrow, “What are you doing here? Where’s your boss? Why are you alone?” 

You felt sweaty before trying to explain calmly. “I’m here to get kkoma. Mr. Lee and his daughter are going to the pet park.”

She tilts her head, seems to be astonished by your explanation. “Don’t go in. I’ll get the dog instead.” You bowed politely before she unlocked the door and walk into the house. “Urgh, why didn’t he tell me.” She mumbled.

You were about to leave when you remember that you left your things in the car, and his girlfriend probably doesn’t know where the car is parked. So, you wait until Jennie comes out with kkoma. You noticed that she only brought the dog without the leash. 

“Uh, Miss Kim? I’m sorry but you forgot the leash.” 

Her jaw drop cockily. “Are you seriously telling me to get a dog’s leash?”

You stutter, “I’m sorry, Miss Kim, but you told me not to go into the house.”

She rolled her eyes in a sassy manner, before walking back into the house, groaning angrily. You bit your lip, trying not to laugh at the situation.

You walk behind your boss’ girlfriend. You were about to lead her to the car but she stopped walking. “You can leave now, I’ll call him.” 

You bowed before explaining that you left your things in the car. 

She glares at you, “What? Did you come here with him? No way, did you also go to the daycare with him?”

You only nod, not wanting to explain more. She just groans and leaves you in front of the elevator. 

Taeyong saw you from an angle and he felt somehow relieved after worrying about what possibly took you so long until he saw his girlfriend. He lifted his eyebrow before getting out of the car to greet his girfriend.

“Jennie, what are you doing here? Why are you holding kkoma?” He asked, glancing at you with a disoriented look. You just bit your lip awkwardly.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you have a date with your daughter? Did you possibly think I wouldn’t want to join? Of course, I would. Why did you bring her? It’s past office hours.” She ranted.

“I’m sorry, okay. Let’s just go. Taehee’s very excited if she comes along.” 

Jennie gets in the car immediately, greeting Taehee with a made-up smile and an awkward sentence of, “Hi, did you eat?”

Taeyong looks at you, “Aren’t you going with us?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Mr. Lee. I think I can’t join you to the pet park. Let me get my things in the back seat.”

Taeyong was about to speak when Taehee opened the window and scream out. “No! Y/n, you said you’re going with us!”

You cringed at how the situation become before glancing at Jennie who’s signaling you to leave immediately.

“Taehee, Y/n said she got something important came up and-”

“No! If Y/n is not coming, then let’s not go. Daddy, this is not what I want!”

Taeyong sighed heavily before opening the back seat door beside his daughter. “Let’s go, Y/n. I know you leave far from here and you didn’t bring your car. Just go with us, I’ll drive you home after we leave the pet park.”

You can’t disobey your boss and after looking at Taehee’s pleading eyes, you decided that you can’t win over the boss’ daughter. You get in the car as Taehee immediately hugs your hand, feeling glad that you finally agreed to join. 

Jennie glares at her boyfriend angrily. Taeyong mouths, “What? This is my daughter’s day, not ours.”

You let Taehee out of her car seat and let her play with Jennie and kkoma. Taeyong walks with you behind them, as he smiles in satisfaction upon seeing two of his favorite people get along well. “I’m happy Jennie could play with Taehee like that. I think, going to the pet park today is the best decision I have ever made.”

You agree to what he said, but there’s a part inside of you that feels a little bit heavy upon seeing the strange pair hanging out together. You only smile as you watch Taehee running around chasing kkoma in the field. Jennie gives up running. Well, she’s wearing a 10 cm heels, of course, she can’t run freely like the little toddler.

Taeyong approaches his girlfriend, starting to talk to her and laughing around instead of playing with his daughter. You keep on watching the little girl running around until you heard her crying loudly.

“Taehee!” You scream as you run towards Taehee who just fell into the ground.

Jennie and Taeyong quickly take a look at the screams, and soon Jennie was left with nothing but kkoma’s leash and a groan.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re gonna be okay, Taehee.” You look at Taehee’s injured knee and you sighed. You managed a smile and told her to only look at you, not the wound. Fortunately, she’s being a good girl.

“Taehee! Daddy’s here. It’s okay, baby girl.”

Taehee was about to cry at the sight of her dad, but as soon as kkoma sit beside her and sympathetically stay in her side, she becomes calm and her sobbing starts to stop.

“Mr. Lee, can you get me the aid kit in your car?” You asked calmly. He nodded and immediately runs off to his car. You glance at Jennie who’s only looking with her phone in her hand, probably not knowing what to do.

A minute later, she tried to walk across to you and Taehee, looking like a tired marathon player when she was only walking.

“I’m sorry but I can’t squat down, I’m wearing a skirt.” She said cockily, which makes you want to puke on the spot.

I’m also wearing a skirt, duh. You thought.

Another minute has passed, and Taehee stops crying and starts to play with kkoma beside her, you tried to cover the wound with your hand, as you saw Taeyong walking closer with the aid kit.

“There you go.” Taeyong watches as you treat his daughter’s wound, feeling embarrassed with his girlfriend only watching and fanning herself.

“Let’s go. We need to talk.” He drags his girlfriend to a spot where no one could see them.

“What are you doing? Did you seriously just stand there, wearing a shade, while my daughter is injured?”

Jennie’s jaw drops, “I’m wearing a skirt, Taeyong! I can’t squat down, are you looking down on me now? Oh, you think I don’t care about your daughter, huh?”

“I was not thinking about that but now I’m kind of convinced that you actually don’t,” He paused, before sighing in disappointment. “really care about my daughter.”

Jennie blinked before reaching out for his hand, asking for forgiveness. “I’m sorry, Taeyong. I just.. I just didn’t know what to do. It’s not like I don’t care about Taehee, really.”

“If you love me, you should have known what to do when one of my favorite people, my child, is injured. You should’ve known that Taehee is important to me, Jen.”

Taeyong decided to bring Jennie home by ordering a taxi for her. He knows that she’s probably not going to talk to him for a few days but he’s trying not to care.

He sighed heavily before going back to the field where you treated taehee’s wound. He smiled softly when he saw you and his daughter laughing together, amazed at how capable you are to make his daughter stop crying.

“Hey, baby!” He carries his daughter and lifts her up, playing with her as he loves to hear her giggles.

You smiled upon the view of the daddy and daughter moment, until you notice the absence of his girlfriend. “Mr. Lee, may I ask but where’s Miss Kim?”

He turns at you after giving his daughter a kiss, “Well, She went home. She’s not used to outdoor activities like this. I’m sorry that she didn’t know what to help earlier. Also, like what I said earlier, please drop the formalities when we’re outside the office like this.” You only nod at him, smiling politely at him.

“Daddy, I’m hungry!” Taehee shouts while rubbing her tummy cutely. “Alright! What do you want to eat, baby?”

So you ended up at an Italian restaurant with the father and daughter. Since Taehee wants to eat pasta, you ordered a creamy fusilli carbonara for her, while Taeyong ordered some dishes for you and him.

“Since we’re eating informally like this, can I ask something that I’ve been curious about?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“So, you said you can’t trust your daughter with anyone in her daily life, when you actually could send her to your parents. Why wouldn’t you do that?” You asked him carefully.

He sighs while looking at Taehee who’s playing with the napkin on the table. “I did. There was one time when I sent Taehee to my parents, but as a matter of fact, I’m not that close to my parents and my brothers. I was taught about business since I was in elementary school, so I always have this little thought that there isn’t any real love in my house except from my mother. My brothers’ thirst for money and power disgust me as much as I hate living in my own house.”

You look into his eyes deeply, feeling moved that he’s voluntarily opening up to you. “Too much information, right? Well, the point is I don’t find it comfortable to put my daughter in my parents’ house because she will be lonely there. Besides, my parents didn’t fancy my late wife. We were together without my parents’ permission so it was difficult for me and her until we had Taehee.”

You nod understandingly, feeling so warm inside. “It must be hard for you, Taeyong. It’s a good thing that you endured all of the hard times for Taehee, and now, as you can see, she grew up as a happy kid.”

Taeyong stutters, glancing at how your hand unconsciously reaches for his hand. “Y/n...” You looked at your hand on his, before your eyes widen in embarrassment. You immediately brush your hand away from his. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...”

He smiled softly, “It’s alright. Thank you for understanding my situation. A lot of my friends say that I’m not being a good father for not spending lot of times with my daughter, but they don’t understand how hard it is to manage a company and taking care of a toddler at the same time, cause they have a wife.”

“Of course, they wouldn’t know. Well, I’ll always be available for Taehee. She’s a sweet baby, I love being near her. I’m always ready whenever you need my help.”

Taeyong never sees someone this dedicated to his daughter except you. He stares in amusement when he saw you feed his daughter delicately. He also noticed how much Taehee feels comfortable around you. This is why he trusted you so much with his daughter. But one thing that bothers his insides like butterflies are flying inside his stomach is your motherly feelings towards Taehee, the one he couldn’t find in anyone besides his late wife, especially Jennie. He finds it odd.

After the pet park ‘date’ with your boss, everything went back to normal, except your relationship with Taeyong. He kept wanting you to be very comfortable around him past office hours. He finds you as a friend, and a literal mom for Taehee. You picked her up from the daycare, it becomes your new routine. Sometimes, when Taeyong has to stay up in the office, you’d bring Taehee to your house and let her play with your twin nephews. Taehee really adores you, and his father weren’t so oblivious about that.

“Hey, Taehee said she wants to visit your nephews tonight, is that possible?” Taeyong asked with a visible pair of eye bags under his eyes. He looks so tired and uneven.

“Yeah, sure. Don’t worry, I’ll pick her up.” You smiled at him. “Mr. Lee, are you alright? You look tired...”

He gives you a soft smile as he replies, “Well, just a few problems with the diva. You know that. By the way, I won’t be able to come home tonight so can she stays in your place tonight? I’m so sorry...”

You nod, “That’s nothing to apologize for.”

His face lit up in delight upon seeing you agreed to help. “Alright, since I’ll be away for a moment, you can’t use my car. I’ll have Jaehyun to drive you and Taehee around, alright?”

So, you ended up waiting for Mr. Jung in front of the office lobby. You were replying to a message from your aunt when a beep from an expensive car chimes in front of you. “Hey, Y/n.”

You smile and bow to Mr. Jung. He’s a childhood friend of Taeyong, and he’s the closest uncle Taehee has among all of her father’s friends. “Good afternoon, Mr. Jung. Thank you for picking me up.”

“Aye, drop the formalities and just get in.”

“Y/n! I miss you already!” You open your arms widely as the little princess runs towards you.

“Be careful, honey, or you’ll fall.” You uttered gently.

Jaehyun smiles softly behind the both of you as he plays with his car keys, examining you and his friend’s daughter. Jennie could never, he thought.

“Hey, is that uncle Jae?” She lets go of the hug and goes towards the cheeky man. “Yeah, he came with me to pick you up. Say hello to him, please?” Taehee only sighed before waving to Jaehyun weakly, clearly missing his dad more. “Where’s daddy?” She asked while pouting.

Jaehyun scoffs, “Hey, why aren’t you excited to meet me? Aren’t I the coolest uncle you have in the city?” Taehee shakes her head lightly, her head hurts upon seeing the overconfident man. “Let’s go, Y/n. I’m hungry.” She takes your hand and drags you softly to the car, knowing which car to go to for its eccentric color. “Hey, wait for me! Ugh, she really takes after her dad.”

You spoon the rice and pull a nice trick into feeding little Taehee. After five spoons and she nearly finishes her meal, Jaehyun wants to try to do a trick while feeding her. “Let me try,” he said. You nod and give the meal to him, while Taehee focused on her iPad. “Hey, taehee.. look at me. Here goes the airplane~”

The spoon ended up in front of her mouth, but Taehee keeps an unamused face as she eats the food. “What was that, uncle Jae? You’re so lame,” she shakes her head as she continues to focus on her videos. You hold your laugh, but people around the three of you laugh at the silly scene. Jaehyun covered his face in embarrassment, before whining to Taehee playfully. “Oh, taehee, can you at least work with me? Pretty pwease~” Taehee can’t help but leaves her iPad and laughs along with you. “Uncle Jae is so funny, and ugly hahaha,” she clapped happily while chewing on the meat.

Night comes, and you stay in Taeyong’s apartment again since he said he’s going to come home late and you haven’t cleaned up your apartment so you didn’t bring Taehee to your place. After putting her to sleep, you sit quietly on the couch with a snack you bought earlier to keep you up while waiting for your boss to come home. Thirty minutes later, you found yourself flinching at the sound of the door opened by the owner of the penthouse. You quickly tidy up the room and stand up to greet him, but when you do, you were met by a pair of lethargic eyes. “Mr. Lee..” you went up to him before helping him to walk properly.

Jaehyun groans behind him. “It is so tiring to bring him up here, even though they got a rich and pretentious ass elevator here. Today is the most tiring day of my life, and now I still gotta drive you home.” He complained. “Mr. Jung, you might want to rest a little bit. I’ll help Mr. Lee to change and stuff.” You said to him while assisting your boss to his bedroom. After helping him changing his shirt, you walked out of the room for him to change the rest of his clothes.

“Today is rougher for him, he... uh.. he caught his girlfriend cheating on him with his close business partner. I was lucky enough to catch him quickly earlier before he drinks his ninth bottle for the night. He’s a mess right now.” Jaehyun explained.

You sighed, “That’s so horrible. I don’t think I should leave him alone with Taehee. I’ll stay to make him some hangover soup tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of him, please have a good rest.” Jaehyun nodded before leaving the penthouse, sighing in relief that he finally gets to rest at home.

You knocked on his door, “Mr. Lee? Are you ready to sleep? I’ll help you clean your face.” There is no answer from him, so you decided to come in. Taeyong sits on the edge of his bed, his upper half body leaning on his hands, covering his face while small sobs could be heard. You gulped before approaching him. You say nothing but instead, sitting beside him and pulling him into your body, hugging him tightly. “I gave her everything, whatever she wanted, and she chose that bastard,” Taeyong mumbled and you only listen. “I accepted her even though she didn’t get along well with my daughter, but... that was.. man, that was terrible. This hurts more than when I lost taehee’s mom.” He sobs and you, once again, only listen.

“Y/n... can you take care of me tonight?” He asked before pulling away from your arms. You blink in confusion, “How can I do so?” you asked while stuttering. He says nothing but leans down to you, putting his lips on you gently. You close your eyes and reply to the kiss, enjoying the moment he savor you with his tongue. Taeyong’s drunken limb starts to roam around your body, and he found his hand near the hem of your shirt, before pulling away to catch a breath. “Can I?” He asked while panting. You only nodded, before letting him raise your shirt gently as he gives wet kisses around your neck, and you only moan softly.

Later on, you found yourself asleep next to him, hands and legs tangled up with each other. You smiled at the sight of your naked bodies pressed against each other, before falling asleep hearing the sound of his soft breath.

The next morning, you woke up at the sound of your alarm ringing and you know right away that it’s already six in the morning. You try to untangle your arms but the man you called boss won’t let you go. “Mr. Lee, I have to wake up,” you mumble softly. He only groans, “Urgh, five more minutes. My head hurts.” You smiled and put your free hand on his head, running your hand through his hair. “That’s why I need to wake up first, I’ll cook some hangover soup.”

A minute later, he let go of you with kisses and you only giggle to his touch. Taeyong pulls the blanket to cover himself more as he gets some more sleep as you wear his shirt and leave to the kitchen.

After cooking the breakfast with love, you went to Taehee’s room to wake her up, and to your surprise, she was already awake. You greeted her with a tight hug, before carrying her up to give her drink. “Y/n, you smell like daddy.” She mumbled. You chuckled awkwardly before putting her on her high chair, “Really? Maybe it’s because daddy lent me his blanket last night.”

To your surprise, Taehee sighed in relief while putting her hand on her chest cutely, “Finally daddy treat you right, I’m always upset whenever he let you sleep in my room. You know how small my bed is and he only gets to sleep on that big bed alone. But now I’m happy that you get to sleep on that big bed too!” You laughed wholeheartedly at her cute remarks while at the same time feeling relieved that she didn’t find it weird that you’re sleeping with her dad. “Oh, he lent you his shirt as well!”

After the little princess finished the breakfast, you let her take a shower by herself since she insisted that she’s now able to clean herself. By that, you also have time to wash the dishes while you wait for her. You were busy humming like a chirping bird while cleaning the dirty dishes when you felt hands surrounding your waist.

Taeyong leaned his head on your shoulder, before kissing your shoulder blades gently.

“You look good on my shirt.” He mumbled against your skin and you can feel heat surrounding your body. “But you definitely look good without any shirt on.”

You blink in nervousness, “I thought you wouldn’t remember yesterday’s event, since you were heavily drunk.” You feel him shaking his head, “Of course I would, the moment I got to taste your beautiful lips, that was when I sobered up.”

You blushed madly, at the thought of him fully sober when he did things to you last night. “The soup’s on the table, have it before it’s cold.” You stuttered. “No, I prefer you for breakfast.” Taeyong continues to tease you while caressing his thumb against your waist, until a loud cute voice comes from the sub room bathroom, indicating that the little princess has just finished her bath and needs her bathrobe soon.

You let go of Taeyong with a giggle, caressing his cheeks softly, “Your daughter needs me more than you do. Now finish your soup so your head will stop ringing.” He smiled and nodded at you.

“It’s weekend! What should we do today?” You asked taehee as you dry her hair with a towel. “Hm, what about coloring? And also, let’s have watermelon before lunch since it’s summer.” You nod, “such a perfect plan! I’ll inform your dad right away.”

So, you stayed another day in his house, but one thing, he hasn’t made it official yet. You convinced yourself not to expect anything from him but his affection to you convinced you otherwise. But time passes and Taeyong treats you the way he does to you that particular night. He remains professional during office hours but when you stayed at the penthouse for Taehee, he’d get super affectionate with you.

Taeyong hasn’t heard about Jennie nor he wanted to look for her. He let himself forget about her and relies on you, his lovely secretary, instead. He took you on several dates, but he hasn’t confirmed the real thing yet. You wait patiently for the right time he would confess to you, but reality slaps you so hard for you to wake up.

Today, which is Friday, you took a day off to help your family move, and Taeyong gladly let you go with a careful hug, avoiding being caught by the workers. Until you received a call from Jaehyun informing you that Taehee got injured while running around with her friends. It went so bad that she got a cast wrapped around her little arm.

You drove as soon as possible to the hospital, with flowers and a cute teddy bear in your arms, you run towards the room Jaehyun told you. You smiled as soon as you spotted Jaehyun in the hallway, greeting him in a hurry. “Where is she? I brought her-”

Jaehyun cuts you off, “Uh, Y/n. I don’t think you should come in right now, I think they’re busy.” He stuttered so much that you find it suspicious when he covers the door with his body. “What happen?” You asked. Jaehyun blinked before he sighed, “No, Y/n, I think you deserve to know.” He caress your shoulder gently before walking away from the door.

That was when you felt thunder wakes you up loudly, as the clear image of your boss and his ex-girlfriend leans against each other in front of the sleeping toddler, lips brushed against each other. You dropped the flowers and the plushie bear, tears dropping heavily down your cheeks.

“Y/n... are you.. are you alright?” Jaehyun asked you before putting your head up to him, distracting your stormy mind. “No, I... I, have to go.” You leave him and the things you brought for taehee as you run out wiping your tears harshly.

How can you be proud that he touched you so many times you thought he loved you or something. Reality hurts, and now you’re awakened with false hope. You weren’t disappointed with him, but you. How can you dream about being together with him, when in reality he was far away from you to reach him. He only has her in his mind, since she was the one suitable enough to match his class. You downgraded yourself to the point of your big decision today.

Monday comes, and you determined yourself to come to work, and to submit the resignation paper yourself to him. You couldn’t let personal feelings go through your work, so you decided to quit this job and find another one that’ll be easier for you to forget him. The only one who knew about it was Johnny. He tried to make you think about it twice but in the end, he respected your determined decision.

“Good morning, Mr. Lee, do you want to have some coffee?” You greet him formally, leaving him uptight about the awkward tension. “Oh, no, I’m okay. Please do continue your work. Oh, and Y/n, are you okay? You look unusually under the weather.” He asked. “I’m okay, thanks for asking. By the way, Mr. Lee, I’m here to submit a paper.”

He narrowed his eyes, “What paper?” You slowly put the white envelope on his table. “What is this?” His voice changed into a stern one, as he takes the envelope with doubt. “My resignation letter. Please put your signature under the stated letter, so I could apply for another-”

“Wait, no, are you gonna quit? I mean, why?”

“-job at the end of the month.” You finished your words without letting him cutting in.

“Why? Why are you quitting? Your work has been perfect and you never make a mistake, why in the world should you quit?” He is now standing up while putting his fist on the table.

“I made a mistake, and it’s a big fatal mistake.” You uttered. “What? What did you do? Tell me and we can work it out.”

“I made a big mistake by putting my heart and expectations on my own employer without realizing that it would damage my work value and now I will be no longer able to work properly under this company without having my own personal feelings intervene my work so... I chose to quit, and please respect my decision, Mr. Lee.” You try so hard to hold your tears not to come out but you have limits so, you decided to bow and leave the room quietly.

“Y/n, you’re okay-” Johnny passes by but you have no intentions to stop walking so you leave him behind and go forward to the nearest toilet. Now I have 2 weeks to work under his presence, so I gotta withstand everything, you thought.

“No, mom. I will not stay in the company. Besides, it’s a chance for me to try out new things out there. And if I can’t get a new career, I’ve got enough experience and value to apply as a secretary.” You explained to your mother.

“I know you can’t work under his company anymore, but what about his daughter? What about that child, huh?” Your mother’s words hit different, and now you fall into a deep silence. “Mom, I’m sure he can take care of her by himself and that she won’t be needing me that much. Besides, him choosing her shows that he didn’t actually need me to babysit his daughter.”

“Since when do you become this selfish? Are you even my daughter? You said you were the only one she knew and trusted, not even his rich and pretty girlfriend.” Your mother retorted back, and you just groaned in annoyance. “Did you just call her pretty?”

“Did you just roll your eyes on me?” She flicked your head with one hand while the other hand stays kneading the dough. “I’m sorry,” you apologized.

“I’m just telling you that Taehee has become my grandchild too, just like the twins, and the thought of her being lonely like she used to be is terrifying for me. I’m sure despite the pain you felt for her father, you’re feeling the same too. Are you sure to leave her alone as if you never knew her?”

You sighed, I don’t know what to do with that, mom.

And that is true, even though you continue working for the rest of your work hours before your resignation without Taeyong asking you to take care of his daughter, you still think about her. You think of how she might need you since her little hand was cast but there’s nothing you could do about it.

Jaehyun still communicates with you about her condition without her father knowing, so you feel grateful that at least you’d know what’s up with her.

On the day before your farewell, Taeyong got himself wasted on the bar, as much as Jaehyun could reminisce to the day when his best friend was wasted over a breakup. He only sighed upon seeing his drunk friend before paying the bills for him.

“I don’t know a well human being like you could be this wasted, of course, after knowing that spoiled little bitch.” Jaehyun muttered. Taeyong turns to look at him, “you called her what?�� He mumbled.

“Yeah, Jennie, the spoiled little bitch, who cheated on you with your best partner.”

“Don’t call my girlfriend that unless you want a punch from me.” Taeyong balled his hand into a fist until his knuckles turn white. “Try to punch me with that weak ass punch, you idiot. Please reflect on what you’ve done.”

Jaehyun holds himself not to order a liquor since he’ll be driving his best friend back to his penthouse, and he praised himself for being a perfect bestie. “Dude, do you even know why Y/n quit her job?”

“No, I don’t understand why she would be that stupid to quit after I paid her million dollars every month.”

Jaehyun closed his eyes, trying hard not to punch his best friend into oblivion, “What an idiot, you slept with her, several times. Took her on a date and make her live with high expectations around you, and in the end, you chose that bitch who cheated on you? I can’t believe you didn’t consider yourself as a jerk by now.”

Taeyong sighed under the influence of alcohol, “Everyone makes mistake, and deserve a second chance. She promised me to get better, and who I am to reject her, a god?”

“I know you’re trying to be saint about it, but don’t let it makes you blind. For this time, please think of your daughter, and consider who has been next to you, and would she break her promise again? You have a lot of things to make sure, bud.”

After bringing Taeyong home, Jaehyun drove again to the hospital, where he asked his girlfriend, Chaeyoung, to stay with the poor little toddler. As soon as he opened the door, a crying baby and a frowning face of his girlfriend was the first thing he saw. “She won’t fall asleep,” she complained.

“Is she still looking for Y/n?” Jaehyun asked and Chaeyoung only nodded.

You rushed towards the hospital as soon as he called you desperately, looking for help. And it mesmerized both him and Chaeyoung that you managed to get her to sleep in only ten minutes.

After jaehyun and his girlfriend left, you caressed taehee’s back gently before you fall asleep next to her. You made sure to text your mom to bring taehee breakfast tomorrow so she’ll get to eat as much as possible.

The next day, you were awakened by the sounds of Taehee crying, and the first thing you saw was Taeyong with his angry-looking girlfriend. “No, just go daddy! I don’t need you! I have Y/n over here and I don’t wanna be with aunt Jennie!” She whines and you only shushed her with soothing words, and she managed to stop.

“Alright, we’re leaving. Y/n, uh... I’m sorry for keeping you busy with her.” Taeyong scratched the nape of his head before leaving with the girl.

After the pair leave, you managed to calm the wailing toddler down, and luckily she was fast enough to stop crying. “Taehee, why wouldn’t you want to be with aunt Jennie?” You asked carefully, while caressing your hand gently on her head as she cuddles into your side. “I don’t like her. She takes daddy from me, and daddy doesn’t care about it either. My arm is hurting every night, but daddy is busy working or playing with aunt Jennie, I hate it.” Taehee pauses as she sniffs, “Maybe daddy hates me.”

You let out a heavy sigh of your mouth as you get a little bit too emotional about the little poor girl. “No, Taehee, daddy loves you so much, but sometimes, he just doesn’t know how to show it.” You wipe her tears gently and make her look up to you. “He really loves you, he prepared a lot of things for your future. And as much as you need his love, daddy needs it too. Daddy needs aunt Jennie as much as you need him. You’re a good baby, Taehee. You’ve been supporting your daddy and he only needs to know that.”

“Does he look happier when he’s with her?” You were tongue-tied when she gives you the sharp but sad question. You don’t know the answer, because to be honest, you’ve been thinking of the same thing too. “I think he’s happier with me, and with you! He’s so happy when the three of us are together. Y/n, why won’t you be my mom?”

You blinked, startled by her sudden request. “Taehee, I am only being a helper-“

She starts to cry again, “Do you hate me too? Do you not want to be with me?” You quickly make her stop by rejecting her remarks. “No, Taehee, I want to be with you. We spent a lot of time together. I love you, baby, and you should never doubt that. Now enough talking about adult stuff, your arm will hurt more if we keep stressing about it. How about watching paw patrols while waiting for my mom to come here with your breakfast?”

Her eyes immediately lit up in delight upon hearing that her ‘grandmother’ will come with food. “Grandma cooked for me?! Yaay! Finally... urgh, The food here sucks.”

“Wait, I think I left my wallet on the sofa,” Taeyong mumbled as he roamed around his body to check every pocket he has in his clothes. “There’s no way I’d walk back again, we’re already in the basement.”

Taeyong sighs, “Alright, just go to the car first,” he handed in the car keys before running back to his daughter’s ward. He was about to open the door when he overheard the conversation going on between his daughter and you. “Does he look happier when he’s with her?” Taeyong furrowed his eyebrow while waiting for your answer, but then he heard nothing from you.

“I think he’s happier with me, and with you! He’s so happy when the three of us are together.” The words quickly ring repetitively in his head, which makes him question the same thing, does he look happier when he’s with you, and his daughter?

He walks back to the parking lot, hands empty without his wallet, but a brand new decision. He goes to the car with no emotion drawn on his face, but so many things in his head.

“Where are we heading to? This isn’t the right way to the coex. Are you.. taking me home?”

“Yeah, I didn’t manage to get my wallet back so let’s just eat ramen in your house.”

Jennie narrowed her eyes suspiciously before Taeyong shuts down all of her thoughts with a glare.

“This is weird. I don’t like instant noodles, and you cooked for me right in my own house, are you gonna break up with me?” She joked. But then Taeyong nodded, after slurping his last ramen. “Yeah, after all, I do realize that I’m not exactly happy when I’m with you.”

Jennie loses her smile and she makes sure that she hears wrong from him. “Wait a minute, no, you’re only joking, right? No, yong, not cool. Not funny, you need to learn another joke.”

“No, I’m not joking. You never let me do whatever makes me happy. You always had me listen to you every time, like a puppet. And the most important thing, you never, let alone love my daughter, you never have any interest in her. How could I be with someone like that? You should’ve dated any single man without any kids, like that man you cheated me on with, Kim Jongin.”

Jennie lets out her tears fall like he hurts her intentionally. “I thought we talked about that, yong. You said you forgive me for that.”

“No, Jen. This is not working out anymore. We can’t work it out anymore.” Taeyong was already standing up, ready to leave the house when Jennie pulls his hand back tightly, preventing him to leave. “No, yong. I promise I will make things right, please. Please-”

Taeyong holds her hand for the last time, giving her the best of his smiles, along with his sad glaze over his eyes. “I’m so sorry for being a jerk, Jen. But you really need to meet someone else other than me. Someone who will love you fully for you. Someone who will not ask too much from you, like me. I appreciate all of our times together but we can’t be together, so, goodbye.”

A week after your resignation, you spend your time resting in your apartment. Taehee was discharged from the hospital and now she can move as much as she wants so you no longer stays with her. You never heard of Taeyong or his little daughter, the last time you heard of him was from Johnny, where he said Taeyong got himself drown in work more than usual. You, on the other hand, are the opposites of him. 

You spend your days mostly laying on your bed, sometimes splattered on your sofa, stuck with Netflix and tubs of ice cream. Even though you weren’t really adjusted by only lying around sluggishly at home, the feeling of emptiness without your work and Taehee make you feel like doing nothing would be the best option. 

You know very well that the moment you lay your application forms on any company mailboxes, acceptances will come to you like a waterfall. No doubt, you have the experience of working in a big and reputable technology company, and your educational background is no joke. But lately, you have no interest in working and trying out new things, like you used to be. It’s like you’ve changed into another person, and you, of course, find it weird.

Like now, in front of your full body mirror, you started to question your whole being the moment you grabbed your old party dress. “Seriously, who are you? You never go into clubs or bars in the past few years, and now you want to get drown in alcohol? That is so not you, Y/n.” You talked to yourself like a madwoman. 

“Urgh, fuck it. I’ll get wasted tonight,” you mumbled. 

You engulfed your ninth bottle on the bar chair, eyes getting heavy every second as you put down the empty bottle. You were about to order more bottles when a stranger sits next to you. “I’ll pay her bills. Hey, miss. Even though you’re quite a hot mess right now, your look still being an eye-catcher.” 

You narrowed your already blurry eyes at the unfamiliar man. “Uh, I’m sorry. I don’t drink with strangers.” You were about to leave when he holds your wrist tightly. “Where are you going? I’m paying your bills, at least chat with me here.”

You brushed his hand aside weakly, “No, I’ll pay-”

“Let go of her, you trash.” With a sudden force, you were pulled behind someone’s back. At one moment, you quickly notice the man in front of you from his hair color, and especially his peculiar scent. Lee Taeyong?

“I’ll pay her bills. Please be quick.” He brings you along to the cashier and as you watch his back under the influence, you can’t help but adore his familiar figure. “Those back... and those arms, used to hold me every night.”

“Let’s go, Y/n. Oh wow, your cheeks are so red.” He chuckles as he helped you standing properly by holding both of your upper arms. “Really? It’s because Mr. Lee is really handsome tonight,” you mumble sweetly. Taeyong chuckles louder when he heard the compliment out of your own mouth, knowing very well that you won’t exactly say that kind of thing when you’re sober. “No, you’re just really drunk, right now.” He noticed your skimpy dress before taking off his coat to cover your revealing outfit. “Let’s go.”

“Mr. Lee, why are you so perfect that It’s so hard to get on your side?” You mumble in your drunk state, while Taeyong only listens bitterly on his driver seat. “The harder I tried to chase you, you’ll be ahead further, away from me. You’re too far for me, Mr. Lee. I’m scared, about the fact that even though you’re not someone I can reach so easily, it’s hard for me to erase you from my mind.”

Taeyong was about to say something when you continue talking, “You and taehee, has become a part of my life that I can’t just erase so easily. Huh, am I too drunk? Am I dreaming?” You let out a heavy sigh as a drop of tear rolls on your cheek. “Can I actually say these things to you? Whatever, It hurts.” 

This time, in his sober state, Taeyong fully understands that you truly had something special for him. Only now that he realizes that the only person he needed all this time was you. The only missing piece to his and taehee’s life was you. He no longer questions why you decided to leave your job. And finally, he understands what Jaehyun meant and he knows what to do.

“No, don’t go. I hate being drunk alone,” you mumble as you put your hand weakly in his, preventing him from leaving. “But, Y/n...”

“Please, I promise I won’t get wasted and be a trouble for you. Just this one night, please.” Taeyong sighs as he leads you back to your bed. “Alright, now let’s change your clothes first.”

He tries so hard not to touch you like he used to do when you sleep in his place. He smiles softly when he sees you shift around in your sleep. When he finished putting your pajamas on, he quickly covers you with a blanket before heading out of your room to check on his daughter.  “Hey, Jae. Thanks for taking care of taehee, is she asleep?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know, you’re gonna sleep there tonight, huh? Don’t worry, Taehee’s already sleeping with Chae in my bedroom. Take care of her, she deserves it. I’m always ready to help you, bro.”

Taeyong laughs when he hears his best friend yawns from the other side. “Alright, thank you so much. And also, I want you to arrange the whole thing we talked about yesterday. Please?”

“Dude, if only I can take back what I said earlier about always being ready to help you, I will. But no, alright, I’ll take care of it by tomorrow. You owe me a lot, dude.” 

“I sure do, thank you a lot Jae.”

After hanging up the call, he goes back to your room, only to see you curled up against your pillow, snoring softly like a little baby. He lays down next to you, eyes wide awake while admiring your sleeping figure. “Why only now that I realize, that you were meant for me? I don’t deserve you, Y/n.”

Later on, he fell asleep with his body hugging yours, spooning you cozily and the warm fuzzy feeling makes you feel loved even in your dream.

“Good morning.” A familiar voice greets you the moment you open your eyes. “Oh, it’s Mr. Lee. Why would I hear him, especially on my bed? Oh, and now I can see him. Wow, hallucinations are either real these days.” You rub your eyes to get a better view, but he’s too good to be true. Taeyong stays still with a remaining smile on his face. “Am I still drunk? Ah, my head hurts.” You stretch out your hand to touch his face, and your eyes widen as you feel his cheeks against your palm.

“Mr. Lee?! Wait, you’re real?” You jolts up in shock as he chuckles sweetly. “You’re funny, Y/n. Yeah, I’m real. You’re the one who asked me to stay last night,” he muttered.

Distracted by his raspy morning voice, you think hard about how he ended up on your bed. But you were too drunk to remember everything. His face turns serious when he speaks up, “Don’t ever get drunk like yesterday, someone almost put something in your drink and I can’t even imagine what could’ve happened if I didn’t come sooner.” 

You sat on the bar chair as he cooks some hangover soup for you, still confused about what just happened last night. Taeyong smiles upon seeing your puzzled expression. “So one of my business partner were having a celebration in the same bar last night, and he recognized you drinking alone on the bar, he only remembers you as my secretary so he contacted me and I thanked him a lot for that. If I was a little bit late, you could’ve been dragged to anywhere by that bastard.”

“Mr. Lee, we didn’t do anything last night, right?” You asked him bluntly, before covering your mouth out of embarrassment. Shit, I shouldn’t ask him that.

“Haha, no. You only asked me for cuddles. No more than that.” He put the soup on the counter before sitting down next to you. “Eat it before it cools down.” He gives you his sweet smiles as he pats the top of your head gently. You nod before you spoon the warm broth. 

“Mr. Lee, is she okay with you being here?” you asked carefully. “Who? Taehee? Uh, I asked Jaehyun to take care of her last night, and I just checked up on her and she just ate her breakfast.”

You smiles bitterly, “That’s good, but I mean Miss Kim, does she know that you’re here?”

Taeyong sighed before licking his lip nervously. “Uhm, I broke up with her, Y/n.”

You tilt your head, how come I never know that...

“I realized that I’m never happy whenever I’m around her, and she was one of the reasons why I can’t spend more time with my daughter, so... I decided to call it off with her.” 

“Ah, I’m sorry for you, Mr. Lee.” you bowed politely to him, feeling sorry that he had to end his 3 years relationship. “It’s alright. I’m okay, why would I be with someone who doesn’t cherish my daughter as much as I do, right?”

Seeing you staying still as you stare at nowhere, he takes it as a chance to give you a little bit of clarity. “Y/n, would you listen to what I’m gonna say?”

You turn your vision to him, and right at both of his brown orbs, you decide to listen without any expectations. “What is it?” You muttered. He closes his eyes while you set yours on him still. He gives out a small soothing smile as he speaks up, “What I did to you was unforgivable and shameful. I am very sorry for that. I regret hurting you and not realizing it. While being with her, I was blinded by greed and fraud. And maybe that’s why I couldn’t see what’s in front of me. My true tendency, my happiness.”

You were taken aback as you expected none of those words to come out of his mouth. His eyes wander to yours, looking for any answer from them. “Y/n, do you still love me? Do I... deserve a precious second chance from you?”

You gulped down in nervousness, “If I say I do, will I lose you again, Mr. Lee?”

His lips pull themselves up into a smile automatically at the sounds of your question, “I promise you no promises, Y/n. But I’ll hold onto you forever. Let’s not let go of each other.” He took your hand gently before putting a kiss on your delicate palm. “Don’t let go of me again, yong.”

He nodded as he leaned down to press his lips into yours, and you close your eyes along to the kiss.

Hours later, he brought you to a place where his daughter, along with Jaehyun and Chaeyoung have waited for you both. You feel your tears of happiness flowing like a river when the little girl holds the banner with a growing smile on her face, there written, ‘Will you be my mom?’

“Yes, honey. Yes,” you muttered as you hugged her tightly, before Taeyong joined the hug as well. “Well, our mission here is accomplished, so now please excuse me and my love to go on a nice date, Mr. Lee.”

“Haha, thanks Jae, I owe you a lot.”

little sequel

jaefluenza masterlist

[orangegreet]

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

“Through the kitchen here is the back staircase. You are to use this and the servant’s entrance at all times unless accompanied by the children, of course.” Alina nodded, following behind the red head obediently.

“Pardon, Miss Safin, but I wondered that I have not been told—when I am to meet the children?” Alina hovered by the door to the servant’s quarters.

The Housekeeper turned her large eyes on the governess, “Now you are arrived, I am sure Lord Kirigan will send for them. You will excuse us, I am sure, but when the last governess resigned, it was rather…abrupt. The children were sent to stay with their aunt in the city for a time.”

“Surely their father would not wish to be parted from them while they remain so young?” Alina chastised, sounding out her identity as the penniless orphan more clearly than if the Housekeeper had not already known her origins.

Miss Safin allowed her an indulgent smile, “Perhaps that is the case in some households.” The Housekeeper directed Alina through the corridor and into the main kitchen.

“Marie, put on the kettle, please.” Marie paused in front of the scales she was using to weigh flour and looked curiously at Alina while she filled the pot.

Miss Safin had taken a seat at the long table and gestured to Alina to sit across. “It was not made clear to you in our exchanges, Miss Starkova but a governess at Blyth Fell will be expected to carry a little bit more responsibility than in a typical London manor.”

“More than teaching the children?”

“Quite. Lord Kirigan is rather…private. Preferring to keep only a handful of servants to carry out the needs of the estate. Ivan, for instance, you met on your way in. He was acting as coachman today but that is simply because he travels with Lord Kirigan and acts as his valet as well.”

Alina’s brow furrowed. “And my responsibilities, Miss Safin?”

“We do not employ a nanny, Miss Starkova. It is expected that in addition to teaching the children, you will log a fair bit of time chaperoning them on outings or around the grounds. Putting them to bed can be a shared activity. At times, Nadia enjoys helping but it is expected, now you are arrived, you will carry out these tasks graciously—without complaint.”

“O-Of course. That will be no hardship.” Alina felt confused.

Was room and board and wages for a few extra servants too much a strain on the estate? Surely they would have alerted her before she would board a sinking ship.

The Housekeeper eyed her, seemingly guessing exactly what she was thinking and smiled. “You do display your emotions quite clearly, do you not, Miss Starkova? You should learn to remedy that around the children.” Marie set the steaming cups in front of them both.

“Thank you,” Alina said, flushing at the reprimand.

“To answer your unvoiced question, you will find that your wages are nearly triple those of a standard governess. We all carry the weight of the estate to varying degrees. As such, Lord Kirigan appreciates and compensates us for our efforts.” The Housekeeper sipped her tea.

“I wonder then at why it would be so hard to keep a governess employed, Miss Safin?” Alina asked.

The other woman did not meet her eyes.

Neither did Marie who had been listening quite openly to their conversation just a moment ago but who was now resolutely fixed on scooping flour. Her overly cautious manner was wasted as white powder puffed and rained across the counter.

*******

The Lord scowled out the window as he sipped from the crystal tumbler.

Alina Starkova.

“Miss Safin. Ensure Miss Starkova is allotted three square meals a day and that she eats them in full. Her visage is…wan, to say the least.” He squinted down at the grounds. “It is highly displeasing.”

Catching the expression on the face of his Housekeeper, he scowled, “The children will hardly be attentive to a governess who looks as though she dithers constantly on the edge of death.”

The young Housekeeper bowed her head, “Indeed, sir. I will see to it at once.”

“Have you found out yet how she has come to be educated?”

“Sir?” The Housekeeper asked.

“To be educated. Someone must have sponsored her scholarship. At the very least she would have required a recommendation to be educated in Weymouth.” The Lord turned to look at his subordinate.

She shook her head, “No, my Lord. I gave her a tour and went over the expectations of her position in the house and then she…”

“She what?” He asked, sounding far too interested in the minutiae of the lives of servants for a man of his position.

“Miss Starkova expressed an interest in gardening, sir. She left our meeting to take up the task of weeding.” His Housekeeper sounded on the verge of laughter.

“Weeding?” Bewilderment muddled his features and he looked again out the window, locating her at last in the stone-walled garden off the kitchen.

Even from the distance he could see the plain blue sleeves of her dress were drawn up to her elbows and the dark earth had stained her hands and apron.

Lord Kirigan watched her face, unsure at what he was seeing.

Was she…talking? To whom?

Why should it be his concern?

The Lord bit off his command, “Find out who took an interest in her, what patron endorsed her education. And why. Then report back to me.” He said, unable to tear his eyes away from the strange woman taking up residence in his garden.

*******

It would take two weeks for the children to return home from their stay in London and so Alina filled her time as Genya instructed. Lending a hand with the housekeeping. Readying the nursery for the children. Dusting in the library and putting away stray books.

The staff was quite short of what would typically be required for a manor of this size and yet, everything was maintained well enough.

It helped that, according to Nadia and Marie, the cook and head housemaid, Lord Kirigan had never so much as thrown a dinner party.

No extra rooms to be done up and then striped down. No extra mouths to feed. No one to impress. The Lord himself had a modest pallet, much to the chagrin of Nadia who longed to show off more skill and flare than was ever requested by a Lord who took his dinner alone in his study.

Mr. Kostyk too, whom Alina learned was an associate and business partner to the Lord of the manor. A man who lived and worked at the estate but who did not attend to normal mealtimes.

He opted instead to let whole days pass by while he worked if not for the attentive nurturing of Miss Safin who left a tin covered plate at the door of his workroom morning, noon and night. Alina had yet to see his face.

That Lord Kirigan entertained no one in a house of this size was unusual but Alina did not mind. The fewer the strangers around, the better.

The East wing was largely untouched and Alina found that several of the rooms were turned down with white sheets draped across the furniture like spirits or otherwise locked altogether.

Explorations of the grounds yielded far more interesting discoveries. Sergei was the general groundskeeper for the estate in addition to his duties at the stable and, at times, driving the coach.

Without the help of a few others to handle the work of the orchard and surrounding lands, most everything was overgrown save a small portion of the garden which was regularly tended and held Nadia’s selection of kitchen herbs and vegetables.

It would have been correct for Alina to ask Ivan, the Butler and Valet, whether she could fix up a portion of the garden for her own seeds and herbs.

However, his countenance was quite foreboding and she did not want to be denied. She pulled Miss Safin aside on the second morning to inquire the possibilities. “I’ve already begun the weeding and could finish the work before the children arrive. It will not cut into my regular duties.”

“I suppose that will not be a problem so long as you do not expect Sergei or Nadia to maintain it.”

“Of course not, Miss Safin. They are my plants and I would prefer to tend to them myself, in any case.”

The Housekeeper nodded and then put a hand on Alina’s arm to stop her hasty retreat, “What is the purpose of these herbs, exactly?”

Alina flushed, “Medicinal purposes mainly…”

The Housekeeper stared, wondering if the governess intended to expound.

Alina decidedly pressed her lips together and then blushed again.

“Very well, Alina. Carry on.”

Seeds were some of the few possessions which Alina had carried across the country on the back of her poor, departed pony. Upon her initial foray into the garden, she found that Nadia kept rosemary and thyme in plenty, which was quite pleasing.

After weeding on the first day, Alina had cleared enough of a plot to plant sage, lavender and chamomile, bee balm and catmint.

The catmint she ensured would be contained within a small stone outcrop of it’s own lest it thrive and creep over the other plants as it was wont to do.

Scouring the grounds and surrounding wilds she found elderberry bushes, wild onions and nettle. Near the wall at the back of the garden she uncovered lamb’s ear alongside some withering dill and fennel plants. She dug around in the dirt and planted a handful of garlic cloves.

It was the wrong season to start most of them but Alina sang as she planted.

Songs taught to her by her loving babulya who knew all the correct words to say to plants—and to people—to make them well. To make them thrive.

Songs and words which were foreign in this country but which were inscribed into her brain from a young age and would not be unwritten. She sang to her garlic and to her little seeds and then to the withering dill too.

When she was done she turned to the house, her eyes falling on an upper window where the afternoon sun glinted and gleamed off the panes in a merry light blur. She looked up in awe and more words fell from her lips though she did not know their purpose.

Babulya taught her to trust her instincts and so Alina spoke the healing words to the little glass window reflecting the sunlight back to her and she smiled.

A short bar of reverence was sung to Alatyr, as babulya taught her to close always with a prayer to the source of all healing in the world, and then she was done.

*******

Inside the manor, a certain Lord who kept vigil at the window of his study remained tucked in shadow, cursing the shattered crystal and spilled laudanum which littered the floor where he stood a moment ago. Where he had been looking down at the tiny, strange woman he had invited into his home.

The one who smiled up at him as if she sensed his gaze. Did she know she smiled up into the face of a monster?

Perhaps he should have had her stand alongside him while he shot her pony. That would have been a more effective message if she did not.

He would need to ask Genya if his new governess kept any other pets.

*******

The first couple weeks Alina spent nearly every afternoon and free moment nurturing and cultivating in the garden. Cataloguing the collection already growing. Pinching back buds where appropriate.

She sang to them all and despite the onset of autumn, they thrived under her attentions.

Time in the garden was a well-loved though grueling ritual. So much so that keeping her eyes open past the end of the dinner bell was a hardship.

Although, she strived to be engaging at the table for at dinner she was in the company of the other servants and after many lonely years in Weymouth, she ached for companionship.

Marie and Sergei were easy and amiable with her. Nadia was direct in her commands but enjoyable to work for when Alina assisted her and Tamar in the kitchens. Tamar herself was standoffish but gave the occasional sound of approval when Alina did something correctly.

Alexei and Maxim were sweet and boisterous, respectively. Alexei, the only real footman in the house and Maxim, appropriately assigned to tend the horses. His wild nature a natural match for the beasts in the stables. Both gentlemen spent their mealtimes keeping Alina entertained and awake over her food.

It was Misha, the shy, quiet young man, who intrigued Alina most. He ate his meals seated at the far end of the table. His one very stiff leg propped always on the chair to his left.

His responsibilities around the house were quite a mystery to her and something was present in his countenance that, while at once familiar, simultaneously kept her from feeling at ease enough to ask directly how he served the Kirigan estate.

Though Misha was silent, Alina often felt his attention peaked and was certain he was absorbing everything that was said around the table.

Ivan and Genya (for the Housekeeper granted Alina permission to call her Genya after the third day) were the most reserved. Ivan sat at the head of the table each meal, one imperious brow raised as he took in the conversations around him.

Genya smiled indulgently here and there. Occasionally offering a smooth comment which poked fun at Maxim and had the whole table smiling. Mostly she was quiet and watchful.

One eye on the calling bells in case someone was needed. Alina sensed that though she was in a position of authority, she had not found or perhaps had not desired friendship.

She whispered quietly to herself a few words for the redhead.

*******

It was a good thing for Alina that she found sleep so well at night those first couple weeks. She was not up to hear the shrieks which would undoubtedly have vexed her.

Would not recognize the distinct footsteps of someone who stopped just outside her door. Someone who pressed an ear to the wood and listened for movement inside.

These noises which would have made her question the merits of staying.

For, once she met the children, Alina knew whether they were little cherubs or miniature demons, she would be unable to part from them unless forced from the house by entities beyond her control.

Call her an orphan but abandonment just was not something she would be able to stomach.

*******

The strangest part—well no. The most troubling part then of these two weeks…

Alina absently picked at her fingers while she thought. Her face twisted with consternation as she stared into the fire in the small parlor. It was late in the evening. The first night on the estate that she had been unable to sleep.

The children would arrive tomorrow. Her little charges. Alina was excited to begin, excited to see her education put to work and make herself useful. Curious to know whether they would like her right away or whether it might take time to earn their trust. Their respect.

Their affection, perhaps.

That was not something she should care about—years spent alone in the world had hardened her against openly desiring such a gift. And yet, she could not help but feel nervous to meet their judgement all the same.

Then again, perhaps they would be like their father?

There it was at last. The circling thought which had started her on her path and seemed to loop back into her every train of thought like some inevitable cross rail. The Lord himself.

Alina had not seen the Lord of Blyth Fell directly since the carriage ride.

Glimpses of him disappearing behind a door or rounding the end of a hall could be caught���his black tails flying behind him until he was out of her sight.

She had not seen his face directly. Had not had another opportunity to inspect the dark eyes which had so plainly scrutinized her upon her arrival.

Alina had tried not to think of him. Tried not to remember him in his haughty disposition and presumption. Tried not to linger overlong on the way he had looked at her in the carriage. Frustrated, distrusting, mocking. Curious, too. Perhaps just as curious as she was now about him.

As if just dwelling on his being for too long had conjured him up, the clock struck midnight and the door behind her was open and he was there.

Alina jumped at the quiet greeting.

Lord Kirigan walked around the sofa and set his candle on the little trestle table beside the armchair. The governess moved to get to her feet, not waiting to be dismissed.

“Please, Miss Starkova, do not leave on my account.” Lord Kirigan pulled a pipe from the trestle drawer and began to fill it.

“It is not on your account.” Alina said. Her tone had an edge to it—something she could not seem to soften now he was here. Now he was bandying about with a looming authority. His very presence rattled her and she could not explain why.

“I am fatigued and wish to retire.” She cleared her throat, “Sir.”

He smirked at his pipe, glancing up at her briefly while he resumed his tamping. The infinitesimal second where his eyes caught on hers sent a tingle down her arms.

“Indulge me, please, before you go, Miss Starkova. I fear I have been derelict in my duties as your employer these last few days and I should like to know how you are getting along here at Blyth Fell.” He finished his pipe at last but did not light it.

“Very well, my Lord. Everyone has been quite gracious while I settle in. Alexei in particular has been helpful and available to explain the proper manner of things to me when Genya is not accessible.”

Lord Kirigan narrowed his eyes. “Indeed.”

The pipe popped into the crook of his mouth and he looked every bit the dark, menacing Lord from the carriage ride as he brought a flame close enough to light it. “Well then. I’m chuffed to bits to hear it.”

His tone was distinctly snide and Alina glared in response. Why must he rile her otherwise good, sensible nature?

“At your leave, my Lord. I should like to retire now, it is a big day tomorrow, after all.” Alina brushed her hands down her skirt and curtsied.

“Another moment, if you please, Miss Starkova.” Lord Kirigan puffed and blew a ring of smoke from his mouth.

Alina grew anxious, she swallowed and her voice was raw, “Yes, my Lord?”

His gaze hovered on her face. He looked curious again. Then frustrated.

“Just what is it you are up to in my gardens?” Alina jumped at the sudden harshness of his tone.

“I-I am simply planting a few things, sir.”

“What ‘things’?”

“Just..well, herbs mostly, Lord Kirigan. I spent some time in my youth learning about the medicinal properties of some herbs and flowers. I thought since…well it is something I have to offer—to contribute. And the seeds were my own, I did not use anything I should not have and Miss Safin agreed it would be fine for me to do so but if it is displeasing to you then I will—”

“You will what? Rip them all back out of the ground?” He cut off her runaway thoughts.

She was almost breathless. Beneath her own trepidation, anger was lurking and she clenched her teeth.

Would he be so cruel? A chuckle as she mourned the loss of her pony and now a demand that she un-sow the seeds to which she was so diligently tending? Rip them from the earth before they had a chance to see daylight even?

The Lord eyed her, waiting for her to response.

Alina closed her mouth, her head held high.

“With respect, my Lord, that would be a waste.”

Shock splashed across his face and the next second he was obscured by another puff of smoke.

The smoke cleared and he was smiling, his eyes bright even as he parried her statement, “Would it? Herbal medicine—sounds like little more than witchcraft to me, Miss Starkova. Witches are not well received in these parts. Particularly under this roof—or haven’t you heard the rumors?”

His gaze was sharp on her, searching her features for any sign of understanding but Alina only felt confused.

“Rumors, my Lord? No.” She shook her head and redirected her appeal, “What I would do is not witchcraft at all. Please, sir. My learning and experience has taught me quite a lot about using herbs to heal. Minor ailments mostly. Small things…”

Alina began to pick at her fingers, losing her thread, “possibly insignificant to some b-but I would like to be of service and this is a skill I have to offer.”

Kirigan watched her fingers, his own tightened over the arm of his chair as he did.

“Very well then, Miss Starkova. You may keep your little sprouts.”

Her face brightened with relief and the Lord devoured the image of her before forcing himself to return to the fire.

“To bed with you, then. The children will require tending to for the length of the day and I will expect you to put your best foot forward with them.”

“Of course, my Lord. Goodnight.” Alina said, flushing as she hurried from the little parlor.

She paused as she went to close the door behind her.

It could be called greedy, the way she raked her eyes over the esteemed Lord Kirigan. However, she could not look away as he, unaware of her stare, allowed his shoulders to loosen. Alina watched him as he pinched the bridge of his nose and then swept a broad hand down his face.

Her words from the garden bubbled up to her throat and she mouthed them to herself.

Trust the instinct, Babulya had always said, it finds and blesses only a few. Perhaps it will chose you and you will be a vessel for it’s light, Alinushka. Perhaps...

A song of reverence for Alatyr uttered under her breath as she turned away, departing for her room.

It was lucky that she had spent the better part of the evening in the little parlor, deep in the west wing of the big house.

For on this night, the shrieking from the east wing rang through the corridors of servants quarters, saturating the chilly air and Genya resolved that Alina would have to be moved into the bedroom beside the nursery.

Otherwise, she would surely leave. Someone as bright, as hopeful as she could not hope to withstand the dark secrets of Blyth Fell.

[hs-devote]

 4. M A R C E L

Moodboard // Content // Masterlist

Disclaimer:

All characters and situation in this story are fictitious. Resemblance to any person living or dead is only God knows.

Previous chapter :

Harry's finger still wandering around her face, thumbs caressing her lips slowly. The air started to feel getting more intense, while Y/N began to be allured by Harry's soft touch. He slowly leaned in, pulling her chin until his lips touch hers. Y/N froze, eyes blinking. His hand cupped her jaw while the other still on her chin. She slowly closed her eyes, kissing him back, trusting him. It was getting way too intense while her arms grabbed his neck, deepening the kiss.

Harry bit her lips with hand rubbing her exposed thigh wildly. Y/N let out a soft moan when Harry was stroking her inner thigh, another hand caressing her bare back.

4. MARCEL

“You scared her, Marcel.”

“Did I ?”

Harry sat on the edge of his bed, hands locked to each other. It was 1 o'clock in the middle of the night, yet he did not feel sleepy at all. His bedroom was pitch dark, the only light was from floor lamps and reflections from building lights from outside. The curtains were wide open. He didn't like the darkness.

Harry's eyes staring deep at the person in front of him. He's too tired to argue with him. Harry never knew why he loved to meet him in the dark night. Always. Only one time he met him when the sky was bright. Blinding lights was not the thing he likes, he didn't like the crowd too much either.

“It's almost two weeks. Every time I talk to her, she always has that look in her eyes.”

“Well, it's your fault then.”

“How come it was my fault? How can it be my fault if you were the one who did it?”

“Harry..” He chuckled mockingly, “You meet her every day, do you? Just use your charm and she will be fine. If your smart enough, you can take advantage of her. How long have you been since got laid?”

“I don't like you talking like that to her. She's my employee, Marcel.”

“But you like her, do you? You have to thank me, Harry. You will never know if I didn't start it. Sadly, you messed it up.” He smirked, “I had almost forgotten what it felt like to taste a woman.”

“Fucking hell, Marcel!” Harry growled, “I am grateful I was able to arrive at the right time. God knows what you would do that night.”

Marcel was laughing, a laugh that Harry hate. A sinister laugh. “Don't bring God in this situation, Harry. He won't listen to you.” He stood up, with a look of pity, smiling devilishly. “Did you know, she saw you killed that person?”

“You were the one who strangled him, Marcel. Not me. What even were you doing there? Don't you know that's her apartment complex?” Harry asked lowly, still glaring at him.

“But, what she knows.. it was you.” He grinned, “I was curious about her. When she was walking out of the building, that son of a bitch was following her. He knew I was behind him, and he didn't like that so... he thought he could rob me but the poor man didn't know what was coming to him.”

“And you killed him, Marcel. I can't believe you.”

“He already saw my face, I couldn't let a single witness roaming around with free, could I? I don't want you to go to prison, Harry.”

Harry could feel the burden on his shoulders, he was tired of this problem. A trivial matter for Marcel, but not for him. “Where did you throw the body?” He sighed, rubbing his face.

“Don't worry too much. Just calm down. No one will find it. Trust me.”

“Trust you?!” Harry screamed, “How could I trust you if every time you do something, I always take care of that? Just stop it, Marcel. You always did that but never think of the consequences!”

“Don't be loud, your housemaids is sleeping. Well, I don't know why you let Suzanne stay the night.” He snickered, “That's why I have you, Harry. Use your connection, Harry. Use your brain, your power.”

Right now, Harry really wanted to throw things but he couldn’t do that. Poor Suzanne was exhausted and Harry had let her stay overnight. After all, she would be home alone because her son didn't come home tonight.

“One question.” His eyes sharp, looking at Marcel's dark one. For a moment, he could see the reflection of his face. “If I didn't lose the count, you came a lot lately. 4 of them when I was with Y/N. Why?”

“We both know what triggered you, Harry. Sometimes I think, why you can be a weak person? You're weak, Harry. Not like me. Yes, you are powerful, rich, handsome. But I am too. What if, I'm there? You can rest, until whenever you want.” He laughed, not caring the look of Harry's disgust, “I swear to God, Marcel..”

But Marcel keep laughing like he just had been told the funniest joke in the world. Harry couldn't contain it anymore, he grabbed the floor lamp and throwing it to the full-length mirror. Shattered glass falling to pieces on the floor along with a loud bang. He couldn’t see Marcel any more, yet his sinister laugh still haunted him.

Every time Harry tried to get rid of Marcel, he couldn't. Every time he saw his reflection in the mirror, he saw those eyes, eyes that resemblance him, but darker then ever, that was when Marcel came suddenly with the same figure as him. He was aware, Marcel was living with him, and he couldn't just get rid of Marcel.

. . . .

“Mr. Styles?” Y/N ask slowly when she pushed his door open. Her hands gripping some bundles tightly. Her feet step inside very carefully, like afraid of something.

That night moment in the car, made her couldn't sleep all night. Her feelings were crumbling. On the one hand, she couldn't lie with her feelings. She had crush on Harry, from the first day she laid her eyes on him. On the other hand, she felt unprofessional. Yes, she knew they did that outside work area, Harry's still her boss.

“Yes, can I help you with something?” Harry asked, watching her pulling a chair in front of him. A couple of weeks working in here, Harry saw significant progress in the way she handles her tasks. To be honest, she was the assistant he liked the most from the people before. Not only because of work, but she also had nice character, and extraordinarily smart for women her age.

“Err, I have bad news. Polygram calling off the contract unilaterally and withdraw all funds from Erskine.”

Harry couldn't digest every word that came out of her mouth, like her voice slowly fade away. He just stared at her dumbfounded. Y/N not sure either if Harry really listening to her. “Legal counsel is on discussing right as we talk now, looking for cause if Erskine can sue them.”

“Harry?” Y/N called him when Harry didn't budge. Slowly, she waved her hand in front of his face. He jumped instantly, “Yeah, yeah? I'm sorry.”

“Did you hear me, sir? You were spacing out.”

“How much funds did Polygram provide during the contract?”

“$900,000 equivalent £730,000. They withdrew almost full funds even though the contract had been running for six months out of the year.”

“Not too much, but still.. it’s breach of contract.”

“But, from the news I heard, their affiliated company will most likely do the same with thing to Erskine. A total of four companies are under Polygram, with worth $3,000,000”

Harry felt like something was suffocating him. One of their biggest clients walking away from his company. He didn’t understand what happened. Everything was all right before.

“Do you know what is the reason? Maybe we can persuade them? I don't want to lose a client. I don't want to let go of them with prejudice, if something isn't right, we can talk about it.”

“I will arrange the meeting immediately, sir.” Y/N nodded. She felt sorry for Harry now, he looked stressed, clearly visible from the look of his face. “Do you need anything, sir?”

In fact, Y/N was waiting for Harry to talk about what happened that night. After they kissed, Harry never brought it up.

To this day.

Y/N didn't know what Harry was thinking at the time, and right now. Whether he did it because he just wanted to kiss her, or because of his emotion, or because he indeed like her.

“No, thank you Y/N.” Harry forced a smile. Y/N could only sigh softly with disappointment. If she could be honest, she had a lot of hope of him. She just didn’t want to be disappointed before it's too late. She excused herself, going back to her office.

Plopping herself into her chair, Y/N opened her email. Quickly typing away a meeting invitation to Polygram, hope they would cancel their intentions. She knew how mad Harry would be if that really happens.

Her phone ringing loudly, making her slightly jump in her seat. Sliding the screen up, she brought her cellphone to her ear, “Hello?”

“Don't sound too happy, what's wrong Y/N?”

“Hi to you too,  Abbie.” She shrieked, “I'm sorry, I just.. well kinda busy at the moment. How are you?”

“Oh, do I bother you? I can hang up and call you in another hour maybe?”

“Nah, I'm fine.” Her other hand lifted from the keyboard, “Now, I'm free for the next ten minutes, I guess.”

“Well, I just wanna check up my best friend. How's Erskine, anyway? Everything good?”

“Worth the benefits, obviously. I'm sorry we rarely hang out together even on weekends. It's been a long time since I've seen you. For God's sake, we are in the same city!”

“Don't worry about that. I could just pay a visit, you know?”

Abbie or Abigail, was a friend from high school. When they were in college, they went to London together but with different universities. She settled in London after that, while Y/N coming back to her home town.

“Any romance involved in the office?”

Y/N giggled, not really know what to answer. “No.. not really. Not yet.”

“Whoa, so.. there's someone? Who's that?!”

“Abbie, please.” She sighed, “I don't know really, it's difficult with.. the situation.” Y/N muttered, toying her pen. “I don't know if he likes me.”

“Okay then if you don't wanna talk about it. I will ask for the progress  next week.” She laughed, “Can we talk about your hot as fuck boss? How's him in the office?”

Y/N shifted awkwardly in her seat, her mind went to their kisses memory. “Oh, Harry? He's nice. Very nice person. Unlike most bosses –stern, creepy. Not at all.”

“Does he have a girlfriend? What is his girlfriend like?”

“No, he's very very single. A fit bachelor. Why?”

“I just curious. I mean.. he's a fucking CEO at THAT age. Fucking handsome like a Greek god. Tell me I'm freak but I love to search him on Google. Did you know that Erskine is one of the top companies with the biggest revenue? Who doesn't want him? He could easily spoil her girlfriend with buckets of diamonds. There's nothing he can do.”

“All I know is Harry works his ass off every day.”

“Hold on.. Did I just hear you call him Harry? So, we are in the first name basis, huh?

“Shut up.” Y/N chuckled, her eyes raking her email.

Polygram agreed to a meeting, but today.

“Can I call you back later? I have a meeting to do.”

“Right then, talk later!”

After she hung up the call, Y/N read the Polygram email carefully. They would love to hold a meeting this afternoon. She dialled Harry's extension right away, he picked up on the second ring.

“Mr. Styles? Polygram agree to a meeting, today at 2.00pm in Erskine. Do you have time? I already check on your schedule , you have no meetings today.”

“It's fine. Please take care of it.”

“Will do.”

Polygram team arrive exactly at 2 o'clock, while Y/N have waited ten minutes ago. She immediately called Harry while the participants were enjoying some snacks offered. Harry's arrival was greeted with handshakes and short small talks.

“I'm aware of this purpose meeting, Mr. Styles. We apologise for contract withdrawal but that was all orders from the council.”

“What is the reason if I may ask, Mr. Roberts? We have never committed violations, haven't we?”

“Yes yes, we are very aware, Mr. Styles. The reason is...” Mr. Roberts glanced at his colleagues, like he was hesitant to say it. “The council doesn't want to work with companies led by.. arrogant young people, they said.”

“Pardon?” Both Y/N and Harry stared at them dumbfounded. Really didn’t get what he meant.

“Our council got the news that you attacked one of our loyal colleagues at an event, and they are not pleased with it.”

Harry? Attacking someone?

Y/N rolled her memories to a few days back, remember that it was true that Harry attacked someone that night. But he was the one who started it, not Harry. It was Dale.

Dale...

Loyal colleagues...

Of course, Machtig.

“Where did they get it from? There's no news about it.” Y/N asked slowly.

“We don't know exactly, we just know that one of the councils' members really close with Machtig.”

“They don't know what really happened.” Harry muttered

“But the news about you, Mr. Styles, punching a man in public areas spread very fast.” This time, a lady with her black short hair opened her mouth after a long time silence. “They only question your performance if you like beating people up. Sure the council wants to keep their image.”

“Do you guys know you're breaking the law? We could sue Polygram but certainly, we don't want to if you cancel the withdrawal.” Y/N exclaimed, trying to speak for Harry. Because from the corner of her eyes, Harry began to look pissed. Everyone sunk into silence, as if just understood the consequences. Y/N was even more infuriated when no one spoke. “Isn't it unprofessional to bring together between work and personal matters? If Mr. Styles here wants to do something outside his office, it becomes his privacy. I mean, he didn't commit a crime.”

“The council also wondering why the police had not been involved in the incident.”

“Denise..” Mr. Roberts hissed at his co-worker, ask her to stop it immediately. Y/N wondered why this woman named Denise really coming at Harry.

Police...

Then Y/N realised, when Harry threw his fist to the robber, they had approached by the police. But after that, they were never been called. Did the police really forget them? Her or Harry could have been designated as witnesses if they wanted to proceed to court. There's no way the police just let him go.

“I understand your worries, Mr. Styles, Ms. Y/L/N. We'll try to talk to the council, especially with the charges if we break the contract.” Mr. Robert spoke, while collecting up his stuff.

“We're waiting for the good news in a week, tops.” Y/N stressed her words, waiting for a definite answer. Harry – who was sitting next to her, was completely indifferent. His chest rose up and down, ready to explode soon.

“I'll try my best.”

“Thank you, Mr. Roberts.”

After bidding them goodbye, Y/N was going to go back to her office when Harry's hand gripped her wrist. She let him speak first, didn’t know what he wanted to talk about, but she hoped Harry could control his anger right now.

“Thank you for that.” He said lowly, hand still gripping her wrist. She just smiled while her other hand rubbing his knuckles, “For what?”

“You speak more than me, thank you for defending me. I appreciate that, really.”

“I think it's an employee's obligation to defend their company. Plus their boss is being cornered like that.” She shrugged, “I don't like that Denise lady, but I appreciate Mr. Roberts.”

“Fun fact, Denise used to work here. I fired her because she was caught having sex with one of the employees in the office bathroom.”

Harry was laughing when he found Y/N scrunched her face, “That's.. disgusting.”

“Mhm, no wonder she was bitter towards me.”

“Mr. Styles?”

“It's Harry.”

Y/N bit her lips, well that's new. They still in the office but Harry let her call him his first name. Then she looked down her hand, swinging them back and forth with Harry's, like kids holding hands.

“Come get something cold and sweet. This time is on me. Where do you want to eat ice cream?”

“Ice cream, really?” Harry chuckled, hand still swinging with hers. “Pretty sure your head now is about to explode, ice cream will cold it down, definitely.”

“All right,” Harry stood up, gathering his laptop. “Pack your bag, we'll go to Soho.”

. . . .

“Hi, can I get Tiramisu Sundae and..” Y/N looked at Harry, who still looking at the menu. “Harry?”

“Oh, I will go with... Sticky Toffee? Thank you.” Harry smiled.

Y/N swore that the cashier lady was swooning over him, she bit her lip when punching the cash register.

“That would be £15.” Y/N handed her cash, after saying thanks, her and Harry step aside while waiting for their order. Less than five minutes, they walk to a vacant booth with ice creams in their hands.

“This is delicious.” Y/N moan softly, licking her spoon. Harry quietly watched Y/N enjoying her dessert, her face looked adorable while concentrating on her ice cream. He let five minutes pass without conversation. He just wanted to enjoy a moment of time, being someone who's carefree for a second.

“I want to apologies.”

His words made Y/N lift her head, wrinkles visible on her forehead. “For what?”

“The moment in the car a few nights before. I’m sorry if I was freaking you out.”

“Oh.” Well, she never thought Harry would apologise. Did he feel any guilt? For kissing her?

“Erm, I.. I think it's... it's okay, Harry.” She mumbled, looking down her cup which now looked more interesting. No. She just feels intimidated by Harry. She didn’t know why.

“No, it's not okay Y/N. It's not... it's not like I feel guilty. It's just that I feel like using you in that situation.” Harry fumbled his finger, panic began to fill his body.

“Did you enjoy it?” Y/N averted her gaze to Harry, she could see Harry's nervous too. “Because I did, Harry.”

“Glad to know that.” He smiled softly, “At least I'm not the only one felt it.”

“Let's just say this is a date. I'll take you on another date.”

“A date?” Now, Y/N could feel her heart rumbling. This wasn’t something she expected. Her mixed feelings made her dizzy. A date? Harry was asking her out, again? She didn't listen to it in the wrong way, did she?

“I really... really like you, Y/N. And I'll look forward to getting to know you better than ever.” His blinding smile made her knees weak, her bones turn into jelly. Harry Styles asked her for another date? Her inner goddess slacking her jaw.

“I'll wait then.” She returned his smiled, feeling shy because Harry kept smiling at her with his prominent dimples.

Soho that night was the same as usual nights. When Londoners prefer to spend time in club or bars, the tourists with their cameras engrossed in capturing every corner of the area – to share with their loved ones. Or maybe just shop for souvenirs to take home. Or couples who wants to watch a show at the local Soho theatre.

Walking down the street, Y/N really enjoyed London – again. Since she moved from Swansea, she had never been back to Soho. Soho and its atmosphere, not much had changed. She chuckled when passed a gay couple who had just exited from one of the bars, stumbling in drunk while pointing their sex toys to one another.

Spending the afternoon on feet in Soho, Harry drove Y/N home when his watch showed 10.00 pm. He felt more human and normal when he could spend his little time outside without having worries over work. Harry totally turned off his cellphone, didn't want to be disturbed for a moment –didn’t care if an urgent call comes in. What he cared about was how he could have quality time with Y/N.

Harry didn't realise that Y/N had fallen asleep during the trip back home, it seemed like the music from a radio he played made her sleepy. He was silent for ten minutes after arriving in her building, couldn't bear to wake Y/N up –she looked tired. He just stared at her, doing nothing.

Her closed eyelids to mouth slightly open. The small things like that made him smile . She stirred slightly in her sleep, before her eyes flutter open. The first thing she saw was his eyes, not the desk clock that usually woke her up every morning.

“Hi.” She murmured softly, hesitate to move from her comfy position.

“You were asleep.” Harry whispered with his fingers straighten her hair.

“Looks like. ” she yawned, “'m sorry.”

“Don't be. It's okay.”

Y/N straightened her upper body, fist rubbing her eyes. “I have to go inside, it's already late. Have to work tomorrow.”

“Mhm.”

“Thank you for today, Harry. I really really enjoyed it.” She said before opening the car door, her sleepy eyes made Harry shake his head. She looked adorable. “I should be the one thanking you for the ice cream treat.”

“It's nothing, really.” Y/N smiled, leaning in and give his cheek a small peck. “Drive safe, Harry. Good night.”

“Have a good rest, love.”

Harry was smiling like idiots when his door slam shut softly, leaving him alone. He sighed, It's been a long time since he felt like this.

. . . .

Full name: Styles, Harry Edward Mr Age: 25 Date of birth: Sparkhill – Birmingham, February 1st 1994 Occupation: Confidential Address: Chelsea Waterfront, Waterfront Dr, Fulham, London SW10 0QD, United Kingdom Diagnosis: Confidential Medical complaints: Excessive anger, Loss of self-control

Health professional: Horan, Niall Mr Specialities: General Psychiatry Treatment action: TBA.

“What's wrong now, Harry?” Niall put his glasses down the table. Hands locked, while staring at his friend. His index fingers tapping at Harry's portfolio.

“I attacked people.. a few.”

“And?” Niall raised an eyebrow, waiting for Harry to finish what he said.

“In public..”

“Something must be triggering you.”

Harry paused, choosing the right words before leaving his mouth, “One of them killed.”

“Jesus Christ, Harry..” Niall looks at his friend in disbelief, hand massaging his forehead. “I understand you attacked someone, but.. killed them?”

“I just found out days after that, the body was drowned in Gallion Reach. I don't know how but the body hasn't been found around there yet.”

Niall let out big exhale, “Fucking mental.” His hands taking notes and pen from his desk, “How often have you attack people in the past couple weeks?”

“Five times.”

“It doesn't all end with a loss of life, right?”

Harry shook his head, feel ashamed of his behaviour. But at least he could calm down because the doctor was his own best friend. Niall wouldn't judge him carelessly.

“Now, tell me. I'm all ears.”

“Well, he appears more often. I don't know why. I still take medicines, sometimes forgotten because I'm busy with my work. But before that.. it was no problem. He has become more aggressive since I'm being close to Y/N. He even appeared when Y/N's first day of work with me, without doing anything. Only creeping at her within a few centimetres.”

“Did.. he do something brutal to her?”

“Just.. snapping at her while she trying to help with my wounds.” Of course Harry didn't want to tell him about he kissed her that night after he punched Dale.

“I read the news about you assaulted a robber in Canada Square, and.. rumours about you broke someone's nose from Machtig at that gala night, is it true?”

Harry just nodded, looking at Niall who was writing something in his notes. “You fixed it, right?”

“I think Mario is tired of helping me. He always said.. this is the last time, Harry. But every time I come to ask for help, he also said  if you weren't my friend and battling with yourself Harry, I wouldn't want to help you.”

“Good things that he's a member of NCA's council. At least your name will be safe from the records.”

“Are you trying to insult me, Niall?”

Niall fell silent, seemed he pressed the wrong button. Harry's facial expression become hard. But, he was indeed serious. “Am I talking to Marcel now? Or Harry?”

“No, but I can feel he's watching you right now.”

He gave Harry a small smile, folding his arms together while looking at his friend carefully. Right now, the man sitting in front of him, something was different on him, Niall felt that. Bright green eyes, soft yet firm expression.. well, this was Harry. Marcel had darker eyes, he had something strange with him.  If Marcel was in front of him right now, he wouldn't be able to speak so quietly and slowly.

“When you said Marcel was more aggressive when you were with Y/N, I wondered if he had.. a certain motive?”

“He had never hurt her.”

“The keyword: had never. If that happens, what would you do? I guess you haven't told her, have you?” Niall asked curiously with teasing smile.

“If I do, she will definitely decline the date. One day I'll be honest with her. I can't lie for too long.”

“So, is there the date you didn't tell me huh?” He wiggled his eyebrow, making Harry laugh. One that Harry liked when he came to visit Niall, he would never treat him like a regular patient. They would talk like usual friends who were chatting in the pub. Niall would always spend more time on him.

“Well, you know how the cure works, Harry. I can only give you a prescription to help you reduce your stress level and blood pressure. If you think Marcel is ready to take over, try to think something makes you happy.”

. . . .

Going home to an empty house was not a pleasant thing for Harry, even though he had lived alone for a few years. When he was still living in Manchester with his family, whenever he opened the front door, his mother's voice would the first thing he heard.

His mum, Anne, would like to keep her eyes open and make sure her son arrived home okay, rather than going to bed and finding him not in good condition in the morning. Young Harry was the same as other teenagers, he could be stubborn whenever he wants or being spoiled whenever he has the chances.

Sometimes he thought, his penthouse way bigger than he needs. He lived alone, his home would be empty when he was working even though his million pounds home would be occupied for a short time when Suzanne did her work. He wouldn't risk his safety and privacy if he moved to another place.

As usual, Harry unlocked his door. If normally the hall was pitch dark, not this time. A few lights were turned on, created a dim atmosphere. It was strange. Did Suzanne forget to switch the lamps off?

“Why the confused face, Harry? Never see the lights on?”

. .

[caravaggiosbrushes]

From the fic prompt list: fitzier in either 35 or 46, I'm up for some good comfort piece 🖤

Hello bby, I finally finished it! Thank you for the request and I hope you’ll like it :*

35: "You don't have anything to be sorry for."

46: "Please don't say that about yourself. Please don't believe that. You're so much more than that. You're so…"

The party has long become a blur of too warm lights, too bright colored skirts and crinolines, and too many amber drinks in glimmering crystal glasses, by now.

It's not the first party or public gathering they attend since coming back, but James is still disoriented by the fact that this is people's daily life. That this was his daily life too, until a few years ago. A lifetime ago.

Most of all, he is shocked by the loudness of it all: the combination of alcohol and constant chattering and clinck-clinck of crystals and fine china plates and the scraping of chairs on wooden floor and the talking, the talking, the talking. Everyone seems to have every kind of things of greatest importance to discuss with him and Francis and James can't blame them -he knows they are quite the curiosity of the entire city, possibly the entire Country, right now,- but nevertheless he still finds himself wishing he and Francis could leave, unnoticed, and just go home. God, he is dreaming of the silence of their home right now: its quietness, its soft lights, their two bedrooms that most nights are simply their bedroom and the room that holds James' clothes and belongings. He dreams of that, right now, of being held by a pair of strong arms in the comfort of their bed which was Francis' bed and still is, for their housemaid, but for the remaining of the time is their bed and that simple thought brings so much blinding joy in James' chest.

Thinking about this, he realizes that Francis has left his side for quite a while now. He has left some time ago, politely making his excuses and smiling at everyone in their little circle, but wasn't explicit about why he wanted to step away or where he was heading to. James hasn't followed him, nor asked anything, even if the moment Francis has stepped out of his line of vision James felt unbalanced, as if someone has cut off one of his limbs.

Now, a quick look around the room is unsuccessful, Francis is nowhere to be seen, so James takes advantage of that and uses it as an excuse to go looking for him and stepping away from all the chattering and talking, at least for a little while. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I think I'll go searching for something as dangerous as the Passage itself." All eyes are on him in an instant and James offers them his most convincing smile, "That would be Sir Francis, of course."

Everyone laughs, delighted at his joke and assures him that is alright and please come back with him soon, we would absolutely love to hear more of your stories!

With a final smile, James is finally free to leave and wander around for a while.

It's only after a couple of strolls around the room, completely unfruitful, that he starts feeling a bit anxious and then, of course, ridiculous because of that. They're not- there anymore. There are no dangers here. Francis is alright. He is alright.

Still, James feels the collar of his uniform cutting at his throat like a rope, feeling hard to get his breathing under control. It’s only when he steps out of the salon, in search of a bit of fresher air that will hopefully have a calming effect, that he notices him.

Francis is standing with his back to him, apparently staring at one of the larger paintings hanging in the hallway. The relief upon seeing him again is more powerful than anything else and James couldn’t, for the life of him, tell what the subject of that painting is. Everything is blurred, except for Francis.

He closes the distance between them with much too controlled steps (he would run to him like an insubordinate child, if only this were a dream).

"Captain Crozier," He calls for him, voice almost reverberating in the empty hallway, "Here you are, man. I thought you had fled the scene already." without me, is what he can't add.

As soon as James gets a look at his face, however, he realizes it was the wrong thing to say. Francis doesn't mirrors his -calculated, but still- easy tone of voice, quite the contrary: an expression of deep concern and stress is painted on his face, deepening the lines around his eyes and mouth. James would like to smooth them all away with light touches and even lighter kisses.

He can’t do that. He doesn't move.

Francis finally meets his gaze and visibly steels himself, taking a breath, avoiding his eyes once again.

"I'm sorry, James. It wasn't my intention to leave like that." He rubs at the spot in between his eyebrows with a nervous touch, "But I couldn't take it any longer."

James feels puzzled and his face must show it. "Take what?"

Francis meets his gaze and looks so, so tired, so much that James wishes he could hide him somewhere under his coat and says his goodbyes and just leave, finally leave and take him home.

He can’t do that. He doesn't move.

"Well," his posture is perfect, but the tiredness weights visibly upon his shoulders. He looks presentable, yes, but he doesn't look the best version of Francis Crozier that James is so well acquainted to. "Being asked questions they don't really want an answer to." Francis keeps his voice low, barely audible, "Listening to all those empty chatters- I couldn't bear it before, but at least back then I had alcohol to distract myself. Now I'm defenceless against these-" He shakes his head and shuts his mouth. "My apologies. Pay no mind to this, is just me doing what I do best: brooding and being of no entertainment."

His weak attempt at relieving the tension fools neither of them.

James wishes he could take a step towards him, place his hands on Francis' shoulders, take his face in his hands and say exactly what he wants to say.

He can’t do that. He doesn’t move.

"Francis, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Oh, I'd say I do, James." He gives a short laugh, all bitterness, "Quite a handful of things, actually. I can even tell you the exact number of things I am sorry about, if you want-"

"Don't do this." He stops him, before he can lose himself in those thoughts.

"I try not to, you know that." Francis nods, "but," what follows is almost spit out, Francis’ face morphing into an expression of anger, disbelief and deep, profound sorrow: "Everyone keeps- complimenting me, James."

James nods and then nods again, because he knows. He knows what Francis means: it's exactly why he doesn't like social gatherings anymore, it's the reason why they both avoid them now, as often as it is socially acceptable. It’s why sometimes James still wakes up at night covered in cold sweat, his mind replaying in an endless loop his every mistake, forcing him to live it again and again.

"Pay them no mind. It's painful, I know it is." He tries his hardest to put everything he really means in these words, "They don't mean bad, they simply have no idea of what you've faced."

Francis holds is gaze and ah, if only James could step closer and place a kiss, just one single kiss would be enough, on his furrowed brow, that would be enough. It would smoother the tension that holds Francis' face and body as taut as a violin's string. Jamous would whisper sweet nothings directly on his skin and kiss him and simply keep him close, waiting patiently for those thoughts and memories to leave him.

But everything James can do here is taking one step towards him, and look at him, pouring every thought and gentle touch in his gaze, hoping Francis would be able to translate them and understand them.

Maybe he does, because his eyes widen just a fraction, in disbelief (that's so very Francis).

"And you, too." He says, "You lived what I lived and you can still do- this," he gestures at the open door of the salon, far away on the other end of the hallway, "But I can't, because of course I can't. I'm broken, I can't even go to fucking parties." He shakes his head quickly, out of pure nervousness, arms straight at his sides. James' hand burns with the need to touch him.

"Captain Crozier," He says, as firmly as he can, and keeps talking only when Francis is looking at him, focused, "You know how much I respect you," how much I hold you close to my heart, how deeply I feel towards you, how much light your eyes bring into my days, "But sometimes you're the most infuriating of men."

Francis stands there, stock still, expression just a little bit confused and it would be almost comical if it weren’t this important of a matter.

"Do you know why I stepped out of that room?" James doesn't leave him time to answer: "Because I was suffocating. Because I couldn't hear my own thoughts anymore with all that talking and those noises and because my mind kept wandering" towards you, my personal North Star, "Do not think that you're the only one who finds this hard. I know you do and that's understandable," James takes another step closer, decency be damned: he has to make him understand, "And I wish you wouldn't have to feel this way, because it pains me immensely to see you troubled. And I know I can do very little about it-"

"False." This time it's Francis the one who interrupts. He hasn't taken a step back. He's holding James’ gaze, his eyes almost flaming when he goes on: "False. You can do so much- James, you're the only thing that makes it bearable-" the sound of footsteps stops him and they both take a step back, quietly. They know how to do it.

A couple who James cannot bring himself to be interest in, walks by and they exchange a polite greeting. He hopes they won't take notice of his too rapid breathing.

Francis clears his voice and James busies himself by finishing his whiskey, slowlier than what he would normally do.

They step closer to each other once again at the same time, as soon as that couple is out of sight. Francis places a hand on his free one and holds it gently, but surely, "You're the only thing, James."

He almost doesn't let him finish before saying: "And you, as well, to me." Turning his hand just so in Francis’, to brush his thumb on the side of his palm, "You know that. I just… I wish you could see yourself as I do."

His gaze becomes softer at that. "I'm just a mess of a man-"

"Francis." James almost snaps, "Do you know how long I've been-" enamoured. obsessed. in love. "Admiring you?"

He frowns, probably surprised by the question. "I... couldn't say."

James makes sure to look straight in his eyes, "Since I read about yours and Ross' expedition." He delights in Francis confused, even more surprised and a little bit shocked expression, "That's right. Even before we were formally introduced." Francis looks like he wants to say something, but James has a point to prove and doesn’t stop, "I read about the two of you doing incredible things and you especially- you embodied everything I dreamed to be. Still do. A great man, brave and adventurous, a responsible captain who takes all the best decisions and God, I was so envious of you." He laughs shortly, thinking about his younger self.

Francis looks genuinely affected by his confession and his voice is almost a whisper, "You never told me this."

"I never told anyone." He shrugs, holding his gaze, "What I'm saying is that what happened doesn't make you a bad Captain. And God, it doesn't make you a bad man, Francis. Quite the contrary, in fact."

Francis looks speechless, lips slightly parted, blue eyes shimmering.

"I," His voice shakes a little. He takes a breath and smiles with such fondness that James’ heart swells underneath it. "I think it's time for us to go home."

He wouldn’t ask for anything else.

"Let's go home."

(send me a prompt from this list!)

[t0ngue-tech]

Everything Means Nothing Without You

“Namjoon adjusted himself to bring his legs out from underneath the table to you had enough room to maneuver your arms. You stood right in between his knees as you delicately wrapped the silk underneath the collar of his shirt and tied it just right then tucked it behind his vest.

‘Well, well, sir. You’re looking quite dapper.’ You complimented.”

↠ slow burn, arranged marriage AU, friends-to-lovers AU ↞

word count: 3.8k

↠ series ↞

A/N: ah yes, i have arrived with another series LMAO SUE ME. i hope you don’t mind lol. enjoy huhu.

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“Mr. Namjoon, I rearranged your schedule for this afternoon.”

“Thank you.”

“The following associates are still waiting for you to forward the building plans.”

“Please kindly tell them that they will be receiving the documents by five oclock.”

“Of course and dinner has been pushed back to eight instead, the location still needs to be decided.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“Oh, and sir?”

“Yes, Mr. Jae?”

“Have a good day.”

It was the same pattern every single day.

Kim Namjoon would wake up at seven in the morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and pastries rising from downstairs of his home. There would always be classical music playing softly just as he exits his bedroom after taking care of himself in the bathroom. As soon as he reaches the bottom of the stairs, two of the housemaids were on either side of the banister waiting to greet him.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning.”

His place at the table was already set with his morning coffee ready; a splash of milk and two teaspoons of sugar. Breakfast always varied, but whenever pastries were prepared, he always had two chocolate danishes and a butter croissant. Namjoon would spend an hour eating and going over any instructions his father left for him on his business associated tablet. At this point, his assistant would walk through the corridor to fill him in with any other details Namjoon’s father may have missed in the documents.

This morning routine barely ever changed and just like any other aspect in his life, Namjoon just dealt with it.

Kim Namjoon was the next successor in Kim Corporation. His father, the president of the business, owned restaurants, supermarkets, and now with Namjoon working his way up in the business, music stores were now in the works. Kim Seokjin, Namjoon’s older brother, was in charge of multiple restaurants and had just recently opened up a restaurant of his own.

It was absolutely exhausting following Seokjin around like a lost puppy in the business world, but Seokjin encouraged him to express himself and make a name for himself rather than having their father decide everything for them. Namjoon knew what he meant, which was why he convinced his father to be open to owning music stores. Still unsure if Namjoon truly understood what he meant, Seokjin supported him nonetheless.

Despite being the son of the chairman who owned multiple business chains, receiving a degree in business was mandatory in their family. Their father could have easily taught them everything himself, but college was a must.

Namjoon had classes at a university from eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon with a one hour break between his third and fourth class. Going to class was just another routine that he went along with because it was what his father wanted and it was his duty to listen to his father. 

“Hey, Namjoon. My dad wanted me to congratulate you on securing the bag on a location for a music store.” Min Yoongi, a long time friend, joined him during his break.

“Thanks, Yoongi. Give him my regards, but things aren’t really set in stone yet.”

Yoongi waved a hand in front of his face. “Stone, shmone. The developers are pretty much going to approve since it’s coming from Kim Corp.”

‘Coming from Kim Corp.’ A free one-way ticket.

“Anyway, you busy later? I’ve been wanting to try out your brother’s restaurant.”

“Sorry, I have dinner reservations at eight.” Namjoon replied flatly.

“Oh, so your dad finally found you a willing bride?”

As old school as it sounded, Namjoon’s father was keen on arranged marriages. He believed in knowing what was best for his sons, the business, and the future ahead of them in terms of family and class. 

Seokjin was arranged to marry Bae Irene, whose family owned a law firm, and the two got married last spring. They lived together with Namjoon in a Kim family home and as corny as it was, their marriage was as sweet as can be despite being arranged. They were extremely compatible and gag-worthy-in-love, but Namjoon really liked Irene, she always treated him kindly and with respect.

Namjoon thought it was a waste of time. Why would he take out multiple hours of his day to go on dates with some girl his father picked out for him? It all seemed to be tiring. Being single was his best bet, but his father thought otherwise.

“Definitely not. Just dinner.” Namjoon shut his laptop. “I’ll text you when I’m free so we can go to the restaurant. I have to go to class.”

Swift, chic, and to the point.

Hours ticked on and Namjoon was now in his office of the main corporation building in a joined conference call with his father and another developer. Apparently things were smooth sailing and Namjoon needn’t worry about having his proposal rejected. This was how things usually went and it wasn’t a surprise. His father made such a name for himself that many businesses were eager to be working alongside Kim Corp.

“Did you forward the building plan?”

“Yes, father. I just sent them.” Namjoon touched the trinkets around his desk and spun a pen between his fingers.

“Perfect. Mr. Choi, we are delighted to do business with you.”

“Likewise sir. I’ll be taking my leave. Good day sir, Mr. Namjoon.” Mr. Choi spoke.

“Goodbye, sir.”

The line clicked dead and Namjoon sucked in a deep breath. He stared at his laptop screen barely reading the documents he promised himself to be familiar with. His eyes trailed from the screen, to his name placard, to a framed photograph of a sixteen year old Namjoon and his mother. He reminisced how his mother used to bring him snacks up to his room while he did schoolwork and talked about her day. She always made sure her sons had at least a few minutes of break time between any sort of work because she knew how hectic their father made their schedules. She reminded both Seokjin and Namjoon to relax before they overworked themselves to the grave at such a young age.

If only she followed her own advice.

“I hope you’re proud of me mother.”

Namjoon’s phone lit up on his desk.

“Hm?”

↠↞

“Next week?! I need the fabric by this weekend.”

“I know, Ms. y/n. Before you have a bird, I instructed them that you would take your business elsewhere if you don’t get it by Friday.”

“Thank you so much, Hye Jin. You know I hate acting that way, but Minzy is coming back from Paris on Sunday evening and I need her to approve the fabric and design herself.”

“It’s tough being a designer, but you’re doing great, y/n. Don’t be afraid to put your foot down. It’s your brand, honey. You’re in charge.”

“Thank you and you can leave for now, I’ll call you if anything comes up.”

The only reason why mornings were always so difficult for you was because you cherished sleep more than anything. You did love drinking a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but the process of dragging yourself out of bed and exerting energy always pained you.

Mornings were never easy, but you enjoyed having your breakfast on the gazebo when the weather was right. You loved partaking in conversation with your family’s gardener and you always encouraged the other house workers to join you for a meal, but they usually declined due to their duties and you respected their decision.

Being the daughter of a famous beautician and a designer of high-end boutiques was always an adventure. Your mother found solace in trying out new hairstyles on you and dying your hair from time to time while your father always gives you access to new clothing he was going to release when the seasons rolled in. While you followed your father’s footsteps, your brother, Jung Hoseok, was your mother’s apprentice. Your parents never pressured you or Hoseok to follow in their footsteps, it just came naturally to the both of you.

Life was a roller coaster of traveling and fashion shows and you enjoyed every second of it no matter how stressed out it made you.

“Hey, you’re really not going to your classes today?” Hoseok walked up the steps of the gazebo with his fading red hair tousled in all sorts of directions.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Mom and dad are still in Milan, so they don’t have to know.” You offered him some of your breakfast, belgian waffles with an assortment of fruit. “Plus, I have a lot to do for your wedding.”

Your parents didn’t want to control either of your lives, but if there was something they had to control it was an arranged marriage. Your grandmother, your mother’s mother, was raised in that manner which was then passed down to your mother who was constantly encouraged (more like pressured) to raise both you and Hoseok the same way.

Five months ago, Hoseok became engaged to Gong Minzy who was a model for high end brands. Your father introduced them after a fashion show and they instantly clicked. Minzy also came from a family of money and reputation so her parents were more than happy to allow her to marry someone with a reputation like Hoseok.

You really loved Minzy for your brother. She always brought out the best in him and she also modeled any experimental design pieces you created. Due to how close you were with Minzy, she had personally asked you to design her wedding dress, the maid of honor and bride’s maids’ dresses. It was a huge honor. There was no way you could say no.

“Thank you again, by the way. Minzy is really elated that you agreed to do this for her.” Hoseok ruffled your hair.

“It’s my pleasure, dude.” You took a peek at your phone. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have silk samples I have to look at at the office.”

Unlike Hoseok, marriage was nowhere near your agenda. It wasn’t because you weren’t interested, but because you were pretty much married to your job and the last guy you went on a date on was a huge pervert. You didn’t have time for disgusting creeps. Your entire focus was on your well being.

Some of the employees were confused as to why you were in the office which you begged them not to say anything to your parents. Entering your office, your assistant, Hye Jin, was already laying out the silk fabric samples for you to take a look at. The fabric was for the ties of Hoseok and his groomsmen’s suits. He never asked you to do it, but it was a small wedding gift that you wanted to give him.

“Is this from the Italy shipment?” You fingered through the small stack of fabric.

“Yes and this,” Hye Jin laid out a sleek box with a deep royal blue tie tucked inside. “This is the sample design.”

Excellent, excellent.

You gently slipped it out of the box and carefully examined every stitch and fold of the tie. Hoseok was your dear brother and he deserves the best so you needed to make sure everything was perfect.

“Okay, I need this to be sampled on someone.” You carefully folded the tie back into the box. “Hye Jin, can you send a text from my phone. Let him know to meet me at our sushi restaurant, he’ll know what I mean.”

“Consider it sent.”

You were so indulged in sketching out the wedding dresses that you almost lost track of time; fortunately Hye Jin was a punctual person so she made sure she had your evening outfit ready for you on the couch in your office. Instead of a loose t-shirt and saggy mom-style jeans, you were now dressed in a pencil skirt and long sleeved blouse that flares out at your wrist.

The sushi restaurant was a high class place you frequented so you recognized a lot of the patrons inside once you walked in. They all greeted you politely as you made your way to one of the private sections. Waiting in one of the sections was a certain ashy-blue haired fellow who you could easily pick out of a line up if you were just given the shape of his shoulders. It was none other than--

“Hey Namu, sorry, I got caught up with my work.” You slid into the seat across from him and took a good look at his outfit. You instructed him to wear a light gray suit with a matching vest and a white button down shirt beneath. “Nice, you’re wearing everything down to a T.”

“It’s no problem. I took the liberty of ordering your favorites, so our food should be out soon.” Namjoon explained cooly.

You scrunch your nose. “You don’t have to talk all proper around me, you know? We went over this.”

He chuckled and flicked a few locks of his hairs out of his face. “Sorry, force of habit. Anyway, may I see the tie?”

“Nope, after dinner. If our food is coming out soon, I don’t want any uni or spicy mayo on it even if it’s just a sample.”

Namjoon didn’t protest. He humbly agreed to your decision and his politeness was something that bothered you since the two of you were in high school. Both Seokjin and Namjoon were childhood friends to you and Hoseok because your fathers were friends since college. Growing up as kids, it was natural to fight and play all the time but he changed when Namjoon turned sixteen. The both of you were just months apart in age and you always wondered why he stopped picking on you or gave you any sort of attitude. He later explained to you that it was because of how he was raised to act more proper as he got older and you thought that if you prodded at him a little while going through the motions of your high school years then maybe he would feel comfortable in acting more like a friend than a robot. It did make a small change in him, but he always still reverted back to his usual attitude.

You spoke to Namjoon about your brother’s wedding as he was one of Hoseok’s groomsmen and you expressed the stress you were dealing with because although your main worry was being a designer for the wedding, you were also working side by side with the wedding planner. This gave you a lot more work than you actually planned, but it was going to be rewarding at the end.

“Seokjin said he’s willing to do the catering or cooking for the wedding. It’s the least he could do.” Namjoon poured you another cup of tea.

“That’s so sweet. I’ll be sure to pass down the message to Hoseok. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.”

“Well, how about you? Anymore creepy guys your parents have lined up for you?”

You laughed knowing that Namjoon wasn’t trying to insult you or anything. This was him being comfortable around you. It was a rare sight to witness so you soaked up the moment whenever it presented itself.

“Ugh, no. I absolutely don’t have enough time for that, but I have a feeling that when my parents get back, they’re going to give me a phone number of someone they met during the fashion show or some big meeting.” You scoffed.

Namjoon chuckled as he signed the receipt, paying for the meal. “Most girls would be excited for marriage and spending the rest of their lives with the one they love.”

“Yeah, but I’m not most girls, Mr. Kim.”

“I know that far too well.” Namjoon raised his cup and clinked it against yours. “Ah, y/n, the tie.”

You tanked your tea, completely forgetting how hot it was, and reached into your purse. Even if the tie was a prototype, you were still nervous showcasing it to Namjoon. You spent a lot of time being nitpicky about the design—it was a damn tie, but it had to be the perfect tie.

“Allow me.” You gestured.

Namjoon adjusted himself to bring his legs out from underneath the table to you had enough room to maneuver your arms. You stood right in between his knees as you delicately wrapped the silk underneath the collar of his shirt and tied it just right then tucked it behind his vest.

“Well, well, sir. You’re looking quite dapper.” You complimented.

Namjoon smiled then looked down at his chest. “Thank you. May I see it properly?”

You gave him room to stand before taking a head-to-toe photo of him on your phone. He examined the photo and hummed contentedly.

“You’re sure this is just a sample?” He questioned.

You laughed and straightened out the fabric against his chest. “I’m sure. I still have to finalize the fabric. This particular fabric is no good for long term use and I want all of the groomsmen and my brother to use it normally rather than just for the wedding.”

Thank goodness the design looked decent on the chosen colors and thank goodness Namjoon was always available to be one of your male dress up dolls. You stepped back to take one more look at him and nodded your head.

“How about you keep this tie for keepsakes, Joon? I’m changing my label once I get all of the ties and dresses finalized, so this is the only item in the world with this label.” You plucked the tie out and pointed at a small cotton tag that had “Yours.” embroidered in cursive. “I was thinking of changing out the cursive to a typewriter kind of font and making the base color black instead of white.”

Namjoon touched the silk and thumbed the tiny tag that you pointed out. “Thank you. I’ll gladly accept this. I’ll be sure to return the favor.”

He flashed you a warm grin that made you wish you could take a picture of. This expression was rare and just like a lot of his less serious emotions, you soaked it all in. 

“There’s no need, Joonie. We haven’t seen each other in a while, so I guess it’s also an apology for being so busy.” You brushed off his shoulders and straightened out his tie once more.

“I also apologize. I guess work and school keeps getting in the way.” Namjoon stroked your hair. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

↠↞

“Let’s have dinner again soon, okay?”

Namjoon opened your car door and gave you a tight hug before helping you settle inside.

“Of course. I’ll text you when I’m free. We can go to the steakhouse in the hills.” He shut your door and waited for you to roll down your window. “Drive safe.”

Just like that, you drove out of the parking lot and Namjoon let out a long sigh.

I guess that’s two dinners I have to fit into my schedule at some point.

The drive home felt a lot shorter than usual and it made him wish he took the long way home because it meant being away from any work related duties. He wanted the world to stop for a second to take a breather. It seemed like no matter what, he couldn’t escape the grimy clutches of work. Even during his dinner with you, the conversation ended up leading towards his floor plans of his music store. A break seemed like a dream that he couldn’t grasp with his own fingers.

Pulling into the driveway, there was a plain black sedan parked out front and it only meant one thing.

“Ah, Namjoon. Welcome home. Join us for tea.”

Sitting in the living room was Irene, Seokjin, and none other than their father.

“Good evening. I apologize, I already had some during dinner. Please excuse me.” 

He quickly said his greetings to a few of the housemaids that were on his way to his room and flopped down onto his bed once he reached his destination.

Floor plans, item arrangements, item shipments, mock proposal for business, notes for economics, dinner with yoongi and y/n.

Namjoon’s hands flew to his face. He could already hear his mother’s voice nagging at him to take a vacation somewhere. Oh, how he wished he could erase his schedule at the snap of his fingers, but that only existed in a realm inside his mind.

He sat up and strode across his room to take a look at himself in the mirror. If it wasn’t for Irene’s holy grail skincare recommendations he would be looking like a 50 year old man. His eyes traveled to the tie you gifted him and again, he let out a sigh.

Your schedule and hardships weren’t a secret to Namjoon. You usually vented to him about everything that’s anything and even with the weight of the world on your shoulders, you still managed to smile. Your personality was completely different from his and he was a bit envious. While he moped around and kept to himself most of the time, you usually walked with a pep in your step and smiled as if you just won the lottery. It was appalling how you could easily make the decision to drop whatever you were doing to take a spontaneous two hour drive and have coffee at a random coffee shop. 

Your personality clashed with his in a positive way. You encouraged him to put himself first and you always made time to have dinner with him whenever you had the chance because it meant distracting him from work. Taking personal breaks was barely ever an option, but he always agreed whenever you asked for his company. This was why his friendship with you was incredibly important. He appreciated you to the highest degree. You made him feel human. 

Three knocks were heard from his door. “It’s open.”

“Namjoon, I’m taking my leave.”

Namjoon turned and made eye contact with his father. There wasn’t any bad blood between them, but there was always something in the air whenever Namjoon was alone with him. It’s been that way since his mother passed away so it was pretty much normal.

“Okay. Drive safe, father.”

His father stood there for a few seconds and took a step to leave, but turned back. “Did you have dinner with a client?”

“No, I was with y/n.” Namjoon answered.

“Oh, y/n.” His father nodded his head slowly. “Are her parents back from their trip?”

“She mentioned that they were taking a detour to New York after Milan, so they’re probably going to be back next week Thursday or Friday.”

Again, his father nodded his head and drummed his fingers along the door frame.

“Alright, don’t forget your meeting with Mr. Choi at your chosen location after your classes tomorrow. Good night.”

Namjoon slumped his shoulders forward and ran a hand through his hair after his father closed his door. Another thing was added to his to-do list.

“Good night, father.” 

It was never going to end, was it?

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♡ rae jagi

[readbeneaththelines]

His Possession Pt. 6

This is NSFW, PLEASE READ WITH DISCRETION.

A/N: Debts are collected, one way or the other. Unfortunately, you were the collection for your father’s debt.

Yoongi is ruthless, cunning, and obsessive.

Characters: Yoongi x Reader

Warnings’ violence, language

this chapter has an extra warning: Rough handling of reader. please read with caution.

Word Count: 2130

This is NSFW, PLEASE READ WITH DISCRETION.

cr. to gif owner

You awoke to the sensation of weight across your waist. With eyes still closed, your hand felt along the intruding object. You felt an arm, wrist, and fingers hold you from your right side. Opening one eye, you looked to your right, seeing a sleeping Yoongi next to you. You should have been startled, scared even, but you just watched him. He looked almost kind when he slept. No hard lines, no scowl on his face. You would even venture to say handsome, under any other circumstances. You tried to fidget your way from under him, but when you moved, so did he. His arm tugging you closer and you held your breath. Sleepy eyes opened and it took him a moment to realize the predicament. He shot upright, nearly falling off the bed as he tried to distance himself from you.

"I- I must have fallen asleep." He stammered out.

 "You did, but it's okay. You needed rest too. But I must say, I never pictured you as a cuddler."

"Shut up! You must be feeling better." You laughed at his flustered appearance, his hair tousled messily, and voice still groggy. 

"I am, thank you." You stretched your arms, a content sigh passing your lips. The sound stirred something low in Yoongi’s gut. Clearing his troat, he managed to squeak out an apology.

 “Sorry, I’m still trying to wake up.Why don’t I order you some food brought up. While you’re eating, and you will eat something, I’ll go shower.” You nodded in agreement, the audible growl of your stomach confirming you were, indeed, hungry. He called down to the kitchen, ordering you a light breakfast of toast and fruit, with juice. When it arrived he excused himself and hurried out of the room. 

The shower gave him time to calm down. But thinking about how you looked when you stretched, the way your back arched while you sighed in an innocent, yet completely seductive way, made him fight to keep his arousal in check. He couldn’t believe that, with you laid up in bed sick, he had a fleeting thought of you in any sexual manner. 

No way Yoongi! She’s your possession, not your lover.

The water ran cool as he began to fully awaken and think clearly. 

But damn, she felt good next to you.

He cursed himself under his breath at the lingering image of you lying net to him in his pyjamas. Which, in fact, did make you look even more inticing. Groaning loudly he quickly rinsed and got dressed. When he returned, he was pleased to see that you had cleared your plate. 

“Did I eat good enough, sir?” you asked coyly, a proud grin on your face. 

“Yes, it will help you get your energy back. You want anything else before I get going I have a lot to get done to make up for last night.” 

“I’m sorry about that. I hope you didn’t miss anything important because of me.” 

“Everything I have to do is important, but it can be made up if I get moving.” he stood in the doorway, watching you drink down the last of your juice.

 “The only thing I want is a bath. A nice long soaking bath. But I’ll manage until later.” A mental image of you naked, immersed in steaming hot water had Yoongi biting the inside of his cheek. How is it that he is having such images with you in your position. 

Because she is your possession, Yoongi. You own her, she is whatever you want her to be.

"I’ll call for one of the housemaids to help you draw a bath. But only after Dr. Choi or one of his assistants checks on you later.” He pulled out his phone, making a call. “They will be here within the hour, so you can get one after that.” 

“Yoongi?” you called his name softly. “Will you be gone all day? I mean, I was just wondering because I will be stuck up here all day by myself, and I have no one to talk to.” Yoongi rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I’ll send Kook up here, he’ll talk your ear off. You’ll beg for quiet after he’s done.” you both chuckle at the proclamation, You finding yourself admiring his gummy smile.

 “I think that’s the first time you have smiled since I’ve been here.” He dropped the grin and frowned suddenly. It was the first time in a long time that he had remembered genuinely smiling.

“I’ll see you later, Y/N. Try to get some more rest.” And with that he left, mentally smacking himself for his dirty thoughts.

“Bye.” you said to thin air, settling back under the covers. You were stirred awake by the voice of a woman beside you.

 “Good morning Miss. I’m Dr. Choi’s assistant, Marilu. I was just checking your vitals. You seem to be improving nicely. I’m sure you are ready to get this IV out. Let’s get this out and make you a bit more comfortable.”

 In mere minutes, you were free of the invading needle and tube. Afterwards, you were greeted by a smiling Jungkook at your door. His smile reminded you of a cute little bunny and your couldn’t help but smile back. He sat down beside you, and instantly you felt right at home in his presence. He ate lunch with you, all the while telling you his story. You learned how he became one of Yoongi's men. The close knit family that they all were. 

"So Yoongi is a good leader for you all?" You asked Jungkook.

 "Of course! After his parents died and he almost died, he changed. When he was younger, he was very much the hard headed rebel. It was his way or the highway. All the weight that is now on his shoulders, he carries himself. He had no one to help him, no one beside him. He allows us to have a family if we want, but only Joon and Jin have one. The rest of us remain loyal to him out of respect. He cares for us from a distance, making sure we are well taken care of. He is rough around the edges, but he is a good man." 

You listened carefully to what he told you. Everything Yoongi did, he did by himself. He carries the burden of a tight family on his own two shoulders, alone. Not only was he friend, but sometimes 'appa' to the younger men that grew up under his watchful eye.

“Why did he want to take me? I understand that it was to pay off an old debt, but he could have taken our money, taken over the family business as payment. So, why me?” Jungkook looked down, avoiding looking you in the eyes.

“Do you remember much of your childhood, Y/N? I mean before you really grew up? Your family and Yoongi’s family spent many summers together. Yoongi remembers when you were born. He remembers holding you as a baby when the families travelled together. He watched you grow up for the first few years. You were like family to him. And when he found out that your parents were involved with what happened, it broke his heart and angered him beyond measure. Taking you has more than one reason. He wants his revenge, yes, but it goes beyond that. I’m sorry, I’ve told you more than I should already.” 

“Yes, you have” Yoongi’s hushed voice came from behind Jungkook. Looking over Kook’s shoulder, you saw him standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Don’t be angry with him, I begged him to tell me. It’s my fault, not his. He only told me so I might understand things a bit better. He wasn’t trying to divulge anything secretive. Please, don’t be mad at him, if anything be mad at me.” you pleaded with Yoongi, who only stared at Jungkook. “Out, chatterbox. You better be thankful she is sacrificing herself in your place.” 

After Jungkook left, you were alone with Yoongi. You swung your legs over the side of the bed, facing the doorway. “Thank you for not yelling at him. It really wasn’t much he told me. Just that you and I grew up together, that you knew me before this. I want to say that I’m sorry for what my family did to yours. I’m sorry that there was nothing I could have done to stop it. It doesn't mean what you did was right, but I think if I was in your place, I could understand.” 

“You don’t understand anything, Y/N! I had no one growing up! You had both your parents, I had to do everything on my own. I had to run this family, I had to grow up overnight, unlike you. You got to enjoy your youth, have fun, be a kid. I had to become leader, confidant, and brother to all these men. You know nothing!” Yoongi slammed the door behind him, making you jump in your seat. He came within inches of you, his hot breath coming in waves over your face as he spoke, his tone calm and terrifying. “You know nothing, little girl, so don’t you dare patronize me with false sympathy.”

You leaned back onto the bed, cowering slightly from his angered tone. Your eyes searched his darkened orbs, reading the pain, anger, and frustration the displayed.

“It’s not false sympathy, Yoongi. I meant it. Every word. I’m sorry I was part of what happened to you. Even though I didn’t know anything, I’m part of my family so I am part of the problem. If me being your toy, your thing you own, if that will help make things right, then I will do whatever it takes to make up for what you went through.” you started to reach for his hand, but he jerked away from your touch. Your hand fell on your lap, your heart breaking for the broken man before you. 

“If we are done here, I’m going to take my hot bath now. If you would see yourself out, then I will get moving.” You rose to your feet, nearly falling because of your weak and unsteady legs. Yoongi was on his feet, grabbing your arms to hold you up. Once you were steady, you twisted from his grip and quietly walked to the bathroom. You closed the door behind you, then turned on the faucet and let the tub fill with steamy hot water as you stripped out of his clothes. After gathering towels and the necessities, you allowed your body to sink into the steaming water, the sting of hot water a welcomed intrusion. You lowered yourself until only the top of your shoulders and your head were above water. You stretch out achy legs, your head falling back onto the tub's rim. Vapor surrounded you as you added bath salts for aromatherapy. You sensed every fiber relaxing in the bath, your muscles easing and your tension melting away. 

Damn him, then. Such a stubborn ass.  He deserves to be all grumpy and miserable if he’s going to be like that anyway!

You complained and grumbled as you soothe your body. The cut on your cheek was healing nicely, and the bruises you got the day they held you tight to keep you from running were finally starting to fade. Before long there would be no visible sign of the hell you had gone through. Just the emotional scars would remain. Those thoughts brought you back to him. He surely had emotional and mental scars from what he had been through too. He had lived with his for the past twelve years. Your scars were just beginning to form. They were still fresh and ugly, his were hard and buried. Maybe one day your scars would match his. 

There was a knock at the door. “Go away Min Yoongi. I’m tired of trying to talk to your insolent stubborn ass.” You hollered back. When there was no answer you returned to closing your eyes. Wanting to wash your hair, you ducked under the water with a deep breath. Instantaneously you were jerked up by two strong hands. 

You screamed out, forgetting you were under water. Choking on water that you swallowed had you scared shitless. 

"Are you okay?" The tone one of fear.

"What the hell!" You spit out. Looking up you saw Yoongi, eyes wide and terror filled. " I heard you go under. I thought you passed out." 

"Get your hands off of me! I wasn't drowning, I was wetting my hair you idiot! You made me choke!" You were mad, and you couldn't contain your anger any more. "What do you care, you thoughtless uncaring monster!" He was taken aback by the name you called him, his hands letting go of you. 

So I am a monster.

@min-shookga-yoongi @beautifulseoulliar @agustd-suga-yoongii @astronomyturtle @aspaceformyself @dreamyoongi @holy-yoongi @trashkazuya @maxinaptak @micky1518 @rosiemilas @karri570 @seoulsunshineandstories @kwonnansi @xjamlessparkx @berryjam17 @kingsuckjin @kpoppingthempills

[downtonabbeyrevisited]

Series One - Episode Seven

One thing that seasoned Downton viewers will know is that either the plot moves so fast that you get whiplash moving from point to point and have to perform a fair amount of mental gymnastics to recall single lines that were (canonically speaking) made months and sometimes years ago, or it’s so slow that you think you’ve slipped into a coma and are having a strange dream about the coming of electricity. This instalment is a whopping 65 minutes long and  defiantly falls into the former category of episode. Don’t be fooled by the slow start of dusting chandeliers, every single plot point that King Julian has ever thought of is about to be covered in rapid succession whilst the July 1914 stamped ominously at the bottom of the screen indicates that the shit is about to get real. The main topic of conversation in Downton Village is apparently the murder of the Austrian Arch-duke. Who knew that rural Yorkshire with its still broadly illiterate population during this time period was so switched on to international relations? 

William’s mother has (predictably) died and Anna has made an armband which is utterly indistinguishable from his livery in her honour. Another soul unable to appreciate this is Mrs Patmore who is now so blind that it has been brought to the attention of those who dwell upstairs. Mrs Patmore is summoned to the library where she collapses into the nearest available chair after chewing off Robert’s ear and he arranges to send her up to London. I doubt this was quite the reaction he was expecting but there we go. In Beryl’s absence, Mrs Bird comes to hold the fort and test Daisy’s loyalties to provide a bit of light relief in what is, when you think about it, quite a grim episode. 

Despite being slow on the uptake, Daisy soon gets into the swing of launching the Downton scullery equivalent of chemical warfare whilst Mrs Bird makes disparaging comments about the kitchen and staff. But Daisy soon falls foul of a bit of bait and switch and only succeeds in almost giving Thomas’ colon a thorough clean out. 

Whilst Mrs Patmore sits in Moorfields reeling at the fact that cataracts can’t be removed by whatever the 1914 equivalent of homeopathy is, Anna is determined to get to the bottom of why Bates was in prison. Thomas and O’Brien’s written confirmation of Bates’ previous misdeeds have only served to light a fire under her and with a confidence to which I can only aspire, she marches into Greenwich. Or is it Chelsea? My knowledge of barracks isn’t what it used to be despite the fact that I am typing this a stones throw away from one now. My superiors are weeping somewhere. In true British Army fashion, a man with an impressive hat brings out a massive book which he never refers to for any information that he could not hold in his head. He then gives out Mrs Bates Senior’s address 104 years before GDPR kicks in. 

A meeting with Ma Bates confirms that it was Vera who stole the regimental silver rather than John but he took the fall, apparently feeling that he had ruined her life. However I can’t be the only person who is still a little unclear as to why he did go to prison for Vera as there doesn’t seem to be much evidence that he had ruined her life unless I’ve missed something, which is entirely possible. Anna returns to Downton and appeals to Robert to keep Bates on. Because he is a useful character for pivoting plot points around, Robert agrees, and our favourite self-sabotaging valet lives to survive another series. 

Considerably less eager to stay at Downton is Thomas who has a right old time of it this episode, roaring through all of his typical behaviours: smoking in archways, leaving tables with entire plates of food in-front of him to go and perch on a crate and plot with O’Brien, stealing from Carson in an inept manner, having at least two other characters discuss just how awful he is and finally take shots at William. Except this time, they aren’t snide remarks. These are actual shots involving pre-German sniper mangled fists. Having volunteered for the Army medical corps with Dr Clarkson, Thomas is riding high on his way out the door and makes inappropriate marks about a combination of dead mothers and babies. William takes him on and the two roll around a bit on a table then the floor. Carson calls for a halt but doesn’t actually intervene: its up to the Irish Radical to bring about peace. Some irony there one feels. 

But perhaps Carson’s inaction is connected to the emotional upheaval that of course comes with owning a telephone. I should know; mine has been on ‘Do Not Disturb’ for at least a year now. Presumably seeing the phone as an affront to his skills as a butler, there are a fair number amount of him looking perplexed at the new arrival. But with a bit of practice under his belt, he is ready to reluctantly shuffle into the twentieth century. Oh I do love him. 

The coming of the telephone is good news for Gwen through who manages to bag herself an interview out of its installation in the Abbey. However she neglects to say that she was a housemaid on her application form. The manager of the company scoffs at this upon learning she works at Downton “you thought that would put me off!”. Well yes, because less then twenty minutes ago you were bemoaning the fact that you couldn’t find any secretaries with experience which is what you needed. King Julian is now struggling to maintain continuity within an episode never mind between. Lord. 

After 18 years, and presumably a lot of hormonal shifting, Cora is pregnant. Robert sounds incredulous and frankly, we all are. Robert doesn’t understand what’s been done differently to bring about this major shift in plot, but Cora brings him to an abrupt halt before he can pick along any further down that particular line of enquiry and an entire nation, nay the world, exhales. However Foetus C’s appearance on the scene coincides with the departure of Simmons and through a convoluted chain of events, their fates are inextricably linked. O’Brein overhears that a new lady’s maid is required and immediately jumps head first into the wrong end of the stick. But to be fair to her, Violet and Cora seem to only talk about their quest when either Thomas or O’Brien are in earshot which is asking for trouble really. But that does not excuse O’Brien committing infanticide by proxy via the medium of Imperial Leather. With a bar of poor quality soap that breaks alarmingly easily and an off-screen yelp, it’s all over and another massive plot point that has a whole lifecycle within less than an episode. 

Although Foetus C didn’t hang around long, he made quite the impact and along with the influence of Aunt Rosamund manages to unsettle the romance that Matthew and Mary have been carefully cultivating since Episode One. St James Park provides a backdrop for Rosamund, following the tradition of all Aunts worldwide, to winkle out the truth about their nieces and nephew’s love lives. As they glide through London, and pass two men sat on a bench trying to divert the apocalypse, Rosamund plants the seeds of doubt that will eventually blossom into a full blown crisis in about thirty minutes time with the mere suggestion that Mary might have to live in a cottage. 

With the prospect of another male heir on the horizon, Matthew considers moving back to Manchester but not before he can have the first of two emotionally charged conversations under a tree. Matthew witters on about ‘prospects’ whilst Mary looks increasingly desperate. That tree and the accompanying bench have seen an awful lot of drama: people have sobbed under it, plotted beside it and stared artfully into the middle distance beneath its shadow and its only series one. 

But even when it’s clear that Matthew’s inheritance is not in danger, he returns to the tree with Mary to assert the fact that he is leaving Downton for reasons that I can’t entirely fathom but are mainly based around the fact that he doesn’t want to be socially engineered and that he can’t be sure of anything. Wearing the world’s most pointless gloves, Mary covers her face and weeps in what is fast becoming a signature move. The ‘tree’ scenes between her and Matthew have been a real chance for both actors to get their teeth into a bit of decent uninterrupted dialogue. I have loved Michelle Dockery since she stole my twelve year old heart as Susan in Hogfather and she has not failed me yet. 

Carson comes to comforts Mary under the ’tree of emotional conflict’ and in one shot we have captured the charm of Downton. Ahh. Now, back onto the nonsense. 

The garden party is suddenly upon us and with it, the tying up of as many loose ends as possible just incase the series isn’t renewed. Hold onto your hats folks! Mrs Patmore returns in a cracking pair of sunglasses, Clarkson gives Thomas his papers who then promptly resigns, William and Daisy reconcile, Mrs Hughes warns Branson off Sybil whilst Sir Anthony pegs it out of Downton before Edith is allowed any measure of happiness, O’Brein attends to Cora’s every need and then learns that she was never in the firing line anyway, Branson plucks up the courage to answer a telephone, Gwen gets the job and proceeds to hug Branson and Sybil hug in a manner that you would think would be enough to cause a scandal, we learn of Ma Bates’ approval of Anna but Bates is still a stubborn idiot , Mr Moseley wants to crack on with Anna and if you squint a bit Downton Abbey briefly looks like The Villa. Oh and WW1 breaks out.  

Romantic declaration of the moment 

“I’d say he’s keen. Very keen indeed” Well then TeLl HeR JohN! Anna and Bates must be up there for slow-burn romance of the millennia and for my money is a better love story than Mary and Matthew but that could just be my gritty scots and northern heritage rooting for the little guy. 

Expressive eyebrow of the week 

Robert won last episode but nevertheless his face during the menopause chat with the accompanying “please” wins this one. THIS is why Fleabag Season 2 Episode 3 had to happen. 

Wait, what? 

“Is there anything worse than losing one’s maid” Erm…maybe the oncoming death of 17 million people with 11.5% of the British Army told by the upper echelons of society to walk slowly towards the guns? 

“Oy” is Mrs Patmore Jewish? 

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to sit in your presence my lord” That is a surprising amount of respect from someone who only two episodes fed him a chicken that had both been on the floor and nibbled by a cat…. 

“Try not to miss me, it will be good practice” Bates is a lovely man but ultimately he is a masochistic twat. 

“First electricity, now telephones. Sometimes I feel as if I were living in a H.G. Wells novel” Julian really does reserve his best for Maggie. 

“I’m not much good at building my life on shifting sands”  Calm down, Matthew. 

“He had a right to know how his countryman died, in the arms of a slut” Calm down, Edith. 

[opheliasbrokenmind]

trying to move on - john shelby

a/n: heey! i know it’s not a request but the idea just popped in my head so i thought i should write this. i’m always open for your requests, feel free to share your ideas with me. hope you like this one <3

p.s.: i still didn’t study for my fucking biology exam and it’s two days later, hope i won’t faint when i saw the questions lmao

‘It hurts more than you think.’

‘Let me help, then.’

‘I'm fed up with your bullshit, Tommy. Fuck off.’ John said and the other members of the family stayed in silence. Thomas buried his face into his hands, sighed heavily.

Everybody knew John was a total mess after what happened. Changrettas killed his wife, Esme. The last time he was like that was when his first wife died. He looked awful with the dark lines under his eyes and he was paler than before.

‘I don't approach this marriage, too. But it has to be done, John. You are the only one who can marry her.’

John froze with Tommy’s words, how could he expect this from him? He kicked a chair, ‘Don't you fucking understand? It's been only two months since Esme died. You just can't fucking come to me and tell me that I'm marrying a woman for your business. First Martha, then Esme. How many women have to die until you understand it's dangerous?’

‘I do know what it feels like, John. Losing a wife, losing a woman you love. But I also know that we have to move on. I understand that you know nothing about her but you'll learn. You didn't know Esme, but you two loved each other. You can try again, you should.’ Tommy's voice softened and his eyes looked directly into his brother's.

‘You’re living in that fucking house and drinking all day, is this how you move on? Stop lying for fuck’s sake. Besides, she doesn’t want this marriage and she is too young for me.’

‘She’ll get used to it, John. Trust me, I heard some about her. She will understand and you two will get to know each other better by the time.’

Polly was right, you had the kindest heart John has ever seen. Your soul was pure and you looked so innocent. He had to admit, you were a natural beauty in her 20s and you were full of love. 

John couldn't control the little smile on his lips when he saw you for the first time. The maiden told him that you arrived and when he went downstairs he found you laughing, talking with his children. His shy daughter was holding your hand, telling you something.

You stood up when you saw him and your smile became smaller, ‘Hey.’ you said and he nodded, ‘Hi.’ It was an awkward moment, you two stayed silent until Tommy came there.

The wedding happened hurriedly, you didn't even wear a proper bridal gown. There weren't many people, just your families and some allies of Tommy. You hadn't spoken to John after your meeting. Then you got married and moved to his house.

He didn't come home for the first weeks, Polly said that he was busy but you knew the truth. You knew he hated you and you understood him, it was hard for him but you couldn't help but feel sad.

You tried to avoid your bad thoughts and give your attention to other things. You took care of the garden, planting new flowers. You spent your days drinking green tea, reading books, playing the piano and pacing in the house. 

Every evening, you asked housemaids to prepare dinner for two people. You waited for him every time but John never came. After a few weeks, you started to eat with housemaids. 

You were alone for too long, friendless. Even a cat lightened up your mood and you became more sincere with the people who worked in the house. 

John heard how were you, of course. He felt bad for what he had done but he just didn't come to the home. One day Tommy called him to his office and talked about you.

‘What you're doing is wrong, John. She is all alone in that house for fucking weeks, I doubt about her mental health. Go today, don't speak if you don't want but at least be there.’

It was the afternoon he came home. He saw you in the kitchen but didn't go in, he stood there to eavesdrop. 

‘I know Maisy, believe me. I do know he won't come but I couldn't help but hope for it, y'know? But Polly told me that he doesn't like his chicken like that so you shouldn't do it. Maybe we can try something different? But what if he is allergic to something?  Let's stick with the chicken, then. Don't fry it, okay? He likes it roasted. Eh, and if he doesn't come we can eat all together, like always’

John was shocked after your words, he couldn't believe his ears. Did you really care about him this much? He compared you with his previous wives and hated himself for doing that. But none of them gave a fuck about what he ate.

He was confused about the way you spoke to the woman, too. He didn't know the housemaids' names but you looked like you knew them and you treated the woman like she was your equal. 

He hid when he heard your footsteps, still didn't want you to notice him. He waited for a few minutes and decided to go to the living room. 

John found you on a coach, your face buried in a book. You were listening to classical music and drinking lemonade. Your hair was messy and you wore a shabby chic nightgown. He couldn't hide his smile. ‘Hello.’

You jumped a little at the sound of his voice and looked surprised, ‘Oh, hey.’ He walked to you and you closed the book after putting the bookmark, watched him sitting next to you. 

He threw a look at the book, ‘French? Didn't know you knew.’ You smiled a little, ‘I studied there for seven years.’ He remarked how little he knew about you.

The silence grew bigger and you stood up, ‘Sorry for the dress, didn't think you'd come. I'll change it.’ He stopped you, ‘'s okay, feel at home.’ You laughed sarcastically at his words.

‘Are you staying for dinner?’ You asked curiously. ‘Actually, I'm staying here for a few days. So, yes.’ He looked at you and saw your eyes, shining with happiness. He liked your smile, ‘By the way, the flowers look pretty.’

You thanked him and Maisy came there to say that the dinner was ready. ‘Mr Shelby, welcome. Is there anything I can do for you, sir?’ John looked at you, ‘Would you mind joining us?’ Your mouth opened and the woman's eyes went wide, ‘E-excuse me?’

‘I think you heard me, please don't make me repeat it.’ You arched an eyebrow when she left the room, ‘What was that?’

He looked at you with that mesmerizing ocean blue eyes, ‘I heard you have company here and didn't want to discomfort you.’ You smiled a little and you two headed to the dining room. 

You ate in silence until he spoke, ‘I was thinking that it's time to bring children here, is that okay for you?’ Your eyes twinkled, ‘Of course it is.’

After dinner, he went to his office to do some paperwork. He came back to the living room almost at midnight and found you on a sofa, still reading a book.

He walked quietly, ‘When are you going to admit that you need sleep?’ You looked at him and closed the book, ‘When will you stop acting?’ With your words, he looked astounded. ‘What?’

‘I know I don't know you at all but I can feel it. You're pretending like everything's okay but it's not, John. You hate seeing my face, I know. And I understand, I really do. But please don't act like it's okay for you. If Thomas asked you to do this please don't.’

‘It's not like t-’

‘Listen to me. It's okay for me if you don't want to live with me, I can go. I don't care what people say, if this is what you want then I'll do it.’ Your eyes were shining with tears, he saw how upset you were and sat next to you.

‘I didn't want to hurt you, I'm sorry. This isn't how I want to live, trust me. I'll tell you the truth, I hated you at first. But when I saw you for the first time, with the kids... I noticed I was being selfish and judging you unfairly. You didn't do anything bad to me but I acted like a fool. You have the softest heart and I keep breaking it.’

‘It's not your fault, John. I know how hard it is for you, trying to move on after what happened.’ You looked at his face and saw the pain in his eyes.

‘It hurts more than you think.’ He whispered.

‘Let me help, then.’ You hugged him slowly and he hugged back to you tightly, making you feel smaller. He didn't say anything but you understood him.

You yawned, closing your mouth with your hand. ‘I can sleep in the guestroom.’ He frowned, ‘What? You're not sleeping there.’

‘Are you sure it is okay for you?’

‘You're my wife.’ You rolled your eyes, gaining a laugh from him. ‘I'm not joking, y/n. C'mere.’ It was the first time he said your name and after that, he embraced you in another hug.

[douxreviews]

The Umbrella Academy - ‘Changes’ Review

And so we have reached what is perhaps the most controversial episode of The Umbrella Academy with regards to character development. And if I'm being completely honest, I think the backlash is a tad too feverish. Warranted, yes, but very hysteric too.

So let's start with the recap. • Klaus briefly relapses but is sucker-punched by Ben transcending the material world, • Diego uses his blood to save Allison, • Cha-Cha takes Agnes hostage, • Vanya learns who Harold really is and makes a pin-cushion out of him, • Vanya returns to the academy and is captured by Luther and thrown in an isolation chamber.

The last bullet point is what has divided fans and also critics of the series, and led many of them to demand Luther's head on a platter. As I mentioned in an earlier review, Luther's lack of any relatable characteristics makes him a hard character to get behind when tough calls have to be made. This combined with Luther showing little to no concern for Vanya at all over the last eight episodes until now makes his abrupt decision to take 'precautions' against Vanya feel rather out-of-the-blue. You'd think that Pogo, the last person Luther claims he would trust, making the revelation to Luther about Vanya's newfound powers would further raise Luther's skepticism, but nope, I guess Pogo can't be trusted until the story demands Luther trust him wholly.

Here's why the fanbase is so livid: Luther's actions are committed purely out of self-interest. In other words, Vanya hurt Allison so she deserves what's coming to her. In my last review, I noted that love can be a fine motivating factor for a protagonist, but Luther isn't acting here to help achieve a greater good, I'd argue it's not even out of love for Allison, it's out of selfishness. (To quote the last series I reviewed on here - Gotham: "Love is about sacrifice. It's about putting someone else's needs and happiness before your own.") Well, it's clear Luther isn't taking into consideration Allison's own needs because he barricades the chamber any time Allison makes an attempt to help Vanya. But then, this is also why I think the backlash is a bit too maddened. Allison's by no means a dull or drab character, there are other candidates that could fill that slot, but she's not necessarily a fan-favorite the way Diego, Vanya or Klaus are. While her near-death experience took me by surprise, I don't know how many others were that affected. If hypothetically, say Klaus was the one that Vanya had nearly killed and Luther locked Vanya up for it, given the adoration and love the fanbase has for Klaus, I'm not sure the backlash against Luther's decision would nearly be as potent. Like I said, still unwarranted, but then, some fans would take anything they could get to see some form of justice being dealt for Klaus' wound.

Ooh while we're on the subject of Klaus - let's talk about how him nearly relapsing for all of forty seconds at the beginning felt just as abrupt too. In between last episode and this one, all that's happened that has weight to drastically alter Klaus' mood is Allison's near-death experience, but the way Klaus explains his decision to turn back to substances to Ben makes it sound as if there were multiple factors at play. Regardless, Klaus decides to stay sober when the more interesting development of Ben being able to make physical contact with things (like his fist to Klaus' face) in the living world rears its head. Klaus nearly relapsing is a plot point also easily forgiven in light of Klaus' own efforts to liberate Vanya from Luther. Not only is Klaus primarily motivated by his bond to his sister, but his dismayed face watching Vanya's own fear at the thought of being locked up resonates much more with him than anyone else, for Klaus too likely understands how torturous and daunting solitary confinement can be. Of all the dynamics we never got to see in Season 1, perhaps the one I would have liked to see fleshed out the most was the relationship between Klaus and Vanya.

'Changes' delivers the final blow to Harold Jenkins' arc as well. After Vanya gets her head straight and decides she still loves her family after all, she makes the discovery of Harold being in possession of Sir Reginald's journal and realizes she's been played for a fool all along. Vanya's catharsis here involving the realization that she can't bring herself to fight or hate her siblings was wonderful, but I guess the showrunners felt the need to drive home the notion of Harold being pathetic in every sense of the word. For one thing, if you're trying to convince your girlfriend that you're both on the same side, I'd maybe skip over the part where you reveal that you murdered her competitor for first chair. For another, when it's clear that said girlfriend, who possesses an ability that nearly borders on telekinesis, isn't going to see things your way, it absolutely is not smart to echo her deceased father's words and call her 'weak' and 'pathetic', which is sure to piss her off and make her use her powers to turn you into the human equivalent of Ferroseed.

I also mentioned once how this series missed a huge opportunity, spectacle-wise and narrative-wise, to give Harold Jenkins powers. Because in the end, if Vanya ever were to discover that Harold was manipulating her, then there's also nothing stopping Vanya from leaving him. Without an ability to rival Vanya's, literally the only thing Harold could do is berate her, but Vanya then is still free to just walk out of his cabin and never speak to him again. Not the best of plans, Harold.

Oh and we also learn that Grace was created by Sir Reginald to help quell Vanya's temper because Vanya kept killing actual, live housemaids. That's almost a really clever solution, but the montage of Vanya brutally murdering actual individuals set to a more upbeat tune pretty much kills this revelation tonally.

So the board has been set for a possible showdown between Vanya and her siblings, but I also hope that the series chooses not to throw character arcs out in the window for the sake of an entirely explosive and action-oriented finale. Please?

Name That Tune:

Smith Western's 'All Die Young' plays over a montage showing how most of the siblings, Vanya herself, are taking her imprisonment. Of all the songs featured in this series' soundtrack, this one quickly rose to being one of my favorites, and it nicely encapsulates this feeling that the Hargreeves, whether for better or for worse, are taking their final steps out of the confines of their shared childhood, and into the world of adulthood.

Hargreeves Humor:

Five: "Excuse me, miss?" Store Clerk: "Yeah?" Five: "Could you give that mannequin something new to wear? She likes sequins."

Klaus: "This is Vanya we're talking about. Our sister. The one who always cried when we stepped on ants as kids."

Klaus: (after Ben punches him) "Ow! You just Patrick Swayze-ed me!"

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.

[samayla]

An Utterly Impractical Magician

Chapter 3

A Jane Eyre/Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell fusion fic.

Also on AO3

Summary: When John Reed burnt Thomas Godbless’ book of magic to spite his cousin, he had no idea how drastically he would alter both her fate and that of English magic.

This is my favorite chapter so far! 

Just because it’s been forever, I’m going to go ahead and tag you folks again: @bookhobbit @wolfinthethorns @kaethe-nicole @warsawmouse@cassandravision @mythopoeticreality@jmlascar @seriouslythoughguys  @isawatreetoday @rude-are-food @the-stars-above28 @the-candor-shadowhunter

Let me know if any of you would like to be added/removed in the tags list.

3 The Little Book Murderer

Gateshead House, December 1804

Her eyes were what caught his attention and held it. Fierce and mismatched, they were flashing dangerously in his direction as she stood in the doorway - though what danger an eight-year-old girl posed to him, John Childermass could not have said. As she stared him down, a great black blot ran across the iris of her grey eye like spilled ink, then was gone. The effect was highly disconcerting, even to Childermass, a man who was used to confronting a great many strange and uncanny things in the course of his work for Mr Norrell.

“What are you doing with my books?” snapped the girl again, bandaged hands held stiffly at her sides. Shiny, half-healed blisters peeked out above the bandages where they ended on her forearms. “You have no business in here, sir.”

Childermass released a breath he had not realized he was holding and chuckled to himself at the absurdity of fearing an overindulged child. “You’d be the little ‘book-murderer’ then? I was warned I might meet you here in the course of the day.”

He did not expect an answer, nor did the girl offer one. She merely moved closer to the table to read the titles he’d pulled out. All seven were books about magic, save Lanchester’s Language of Birds, which was a book of magic. Childermass added a copy of Ormskirk to the stack. Norrell had a copy already, but Childermass was of a mind to rescue as much of this sad little library from its monstrous keepers as he could.

“What are you doing with them?” demanded the girl softly, and Childermass looked up once more. What he saw was not the spoiled child her aunt had led him to expect. The horror evident in her face was a great deal more mature than that. “These are my books,” she whispered.

Childermass set down the edition of Tott’s English Magic he’d been inspecting. “Easy now, little miss,” he soothed, placing a hand atop the stack. “I am buying these from your aunt.”

The girl stepped forward, seized with a sudden bravery. “I am not frightened of you, sir,” she declared, chin raised in defiance. “Even if you should be angry with me for saying so, even if you should turn me into something unnatural for answering back. You will know I am not afraid, nor am I a book-murderer. It was my cousin John Reed who threw my book into the fire.”

“And why should he do that?” asked Childermass. He only permitted himself the slightest smirk at the girl’s assumption that he was a magician, though her courage in the face of it both amused and impressed him greatly. “Any book concerning Thomas Godbless would have been worth a great deal of money to him.”

“He did it because I loved it. I loved my book more than I feared him, and so he burnt it to make me small and scared again.”

Childermass lounged against the shelf behind him. “And did it work, Little Miss? You do not seem so small and scared to me.”

“I may be small, but I am not scared, sir. Not of him, and not of you.”

Childermass could not help the small chuckle that escaped him. Her eyes flashed again, and it was clear once again that these books meant much more to her than some toy she didn’t want to share. “Why did you love that particular book so?” asked Childermass. “Surely it, and these others I have chosen, are somewhat beyond the realm of a young lady?”

“I have read them all,” declared the girl obstinately, “and the book of Thomas Godbless is the best and most beautiful thing I’ve ever read, and I am glad you shan’t have it!” She dashed away a tear with the back of her hand, obviously having forgotten for a moment that it was bandaged. She gasped in pain, but then soldiered on admirably. “If I were big, a woman grown, I should keep you from having any of them at all!”

Childermass chuckled a little sadly. “Little Miss,” he said gently, “I have bought books from low servants and high lords alike. When my master decides he wants a book, he will have it.”

The girl sniffled a little, but raised her chin once more to stare at him in defiance. “The book of Thomas Godbless is mine and mine alone, and neither you nor your master shall ever take it away from me.” With that, she marched to the window seat and sat, staring daggers at Childermass, as if she would compel him to reconsider by the sheer force of her will.

The girl perched there in the same stubborn attitude all the morning, while Childermass chose books - some thirty or forty titles, when all was said and done, some magical, most mundane. It was not until he made his payment to Mrs Reed after a lunch of cold sandwiches - none were brought for the girl, and she refused his offer to share - that she was chased from the library by her aunt, who cringed and shuddered at the very sight of her.

“You have my apologies, sir,” said Mrs Reed, when the library door had closed behind her niece. “The girl is intractably willful. I have done what I can for her following the  death of my dear brother, may he rest in peace, but I am afraid this latest episode, of which we spoke earlier, has been the final straw. I hope she did not give you much trouble.”

Childermass raised an eyebrow but assured the lady in the most polite language that she had not. Indeed, he was feeling worse now that the girl was gone, than he had when she was here: a little dizzy and very faintly ill, as though he’d had one pint too many without eating dinner first. He blamed the feeling on his conscience, and his growing suspicions about how things were done in this odious household.

“Well, I am thankful for that, at least,” said Mrs Reed pleasantly. “I feared some further tantrum. Jane is so unnaturally attached to these books, it will be good to separate her from them and put an end to all the mischief they have caused.”

Childermass made a noncommittal noise, which Mrs Reed took for agreement and left him to pack the books.

But when he moved to begin wrapping his purchases in brown paper for transport, he found that he could not lift a single one from the table, nor so much as open them.  He tried a few little spells from Belasis and one of the less complicated creations of Martin Pale, minor tricks that he’d picked up from his work with Mr Norrell, but nothing he did allowed him to shift the books even half an inch in any direction. They might as well have turned to stone.

Frustrated and cross, for he was feeling more ill by the minute and only wished to be out of this loathsome house, Childermass drew out his Cards of Marseilles.

La Torre, Deux Épées, and l'Impératrice, reversed. Disaster and a potential truce, complicated by a female relative. The aunt, no doubt. Sept Deniers, patience and perseverance are required. And le Bateleur, the Magician. For a moment, it appeared as though the Magician was holding a book, rather than a wand, but a second glance showed it was only a smudge of ash on the paper, likely transferred from one of the books to his hand and then the card.

However, if there was one thing Childermass had learned, it was to respect his cards and his intuition when it came to reading them. It would seem that there was more to the ‘little book-murderer’ than  he’d supposed. He called for one of the servants to fetch her, giving the excuse that he thought she’d like to say goodbye to her favorites. Her aunt had sent her out so that he might work in peace, but she was clearly attached to the books. He would simply not feel right if he did not allow the girl a chance at closure. The servant, a young housemaid, was sympathetic, and went to find the girl.

When she arrived after a few minutes, face reddened by crying, and odd-eyes flashing angrily once more, Childermass thanked the housemaid and dismissed her. He and the girl simply stood there for a few moments, she with ire written in the tension of every muscle, and he leaning casually against the bookshelf, waiting for her to master her emotions before he broached the subject of the immovable books.

Eventually, her eyes drifted away from his to the great stacks of books piled on the table before him, and Childermass felt a shift in the room. It was something nameless and queer, as if he’d suddenly heard the black of ink, or tasted the letter q. He took it for a sort of kinship between the girl and the books. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think the books were as distraught at leaving the girl as she was at losing them. The girl stifled a sob, and the shadows cast by the fire took on a strange tinge that was not quite blue, nor precisely lilac, and the dizziness and fatigue Childermass felt doubled in intensity, causing him to stagger sideways. The image of the smudged Magician card flashed in his mind’s eye.

“Did you call me so you could gloat, sir?” the girl asked tightly. She did not look at him.

“I thought you’d like to say goodbye to your favorites, Little Miss,” answered Childermass gently.

It was all the invitation she needed. She cast one wary look at Childermass, now leaning more heavily on the bookshelf, and then she was at the table like a shot. She pulled down one of the topmost books as if it weighed nothing, and Childermass’ suspicions were confirmed: there was magic in the library, and it was tied to the girl.

The girl held each book lovingly, as if she were trying to memorize the press of the embossed letters, every loose string in the binding, the imprecise cut of the pages. Some, she stroked a hand over and then returned to the table after only a moment or two, but others, she hugged tightly to her chest as she whispered to them.

Childermass, who tried casually to shift a book she’d just finished looking at, still could not make the thing move, though he was awarded a stinging paper cut for his trouble.

When the girl had said her goodbyes to them all and stood staring at the laden table as though lost, Childermass knelt down before her and offered a handkerchief. She sniffled and took the square of fabric. “Do not cry anymore, Little Miss,” he said. “This will be a good thing. Your books are going somewhere safer, where no one would ever think to burn them, nor do them the slightest bit of harm. My master has a vast library, where he keeps such books safe, cares for them and loves them, in his way.”

“But I love them,” the girl hiccuped. She ran a finger along the spine of the Language of Birds, looking in that moment every bit an eight-year-old child.

“I know, Little Miss,” he soothed, pulling her into an embrace. She was stiff in his arms at first, clearly as unused to receiving such gestures as Childermass was to offering them. Another suspicion confirmed. “But you cannot keep them safe here.” At that, she collapsed into his arms, like a puppet with its strings cut, and sobbed into his shoulder.

Childermass felt like the cruelest beast in existence, but what he said was true. She could not keep the books safe from her monstrous cousins. It was better for everyone that Mr Norrell should take charge of them.

The girl’s sobbing was loud enough that someone in the house should have heard, but no one came to comfort her, nor would they, he had come to realize. He simply held her as she cried, and slowly his own feeling of illness eased, as did the violence of her sobs.

“Will you help me pack them properly?” he whispered.

She nodded into his shoulder after a moment, and he eased his hold on her. She sniffled miserably but picked up the roll of brown paper Childermass had brought. Together, for Childermass could now move the books as easily as the girl could, they packed the books. She wrapped them carefully in paper, and he stacked them in the iron-bound chest he’d brought to transport them.

The girl did not cry again, but merely asked, as he placed the last book inside the chest and closed the lid, whether he promised to take care of them. Childermass assured her they would receive the utmost care, and when she saw them again, they would be just as she’d left them.

“Will I see them again?” she asked.

Childermass could hear the brittle hope in her voice, though she clearly tried to sound casual. “Of course you will, Little Miss.” He knelt again and wiped a single tear from her cheek, beneath her grey eye. He offered her an encouraging smile. “I don’t think there’s a soul in this world as could stop you.”

[the-letter-horror-lover]

The Matchmakers

Chapterdaze

Summary:

Lady (Y/N) Feridge finds herself torn as her late father's will includes a letter to the earl Phantomhive, stating that the latter can choose who the lady should marry, and then benefit from the outcome. In their quest for a suitable suitor, (Y/N) meets the charming Earl Grey, from a rivaling tea company to that of her own. Though her heart is immediately sold to the white-haired, seemingly uninterested male, Ciel Phantomhive disagrees, not approving of (Y/N)'s choice. With the help of his servants and his fiancée (Elizabeth Midford), (Y/N) devices a plan to make the Earl see reason. Will she win over both Ciel Phantomhive, and more importantly, Charles Grey?

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Chapter Text

The rainy night had made room for a rose-coloured morning sun. The crisp smell of wet grass wafted through the door opening as a tall, handsome man clad in black stepped onto the porch. He did not care for the fresh dawn. He did not linger to feel the cool spring breeze, or hear the chirps from waking birds. He was the butler, Sebastian Michaelis, and the only thing he cared about was getting the newspaper for his master. Though he had no intent of letting the season get to him, he couldn't help but scan the trees surrounding the Phantomhive Estate with his crimson eyes. He had the nagging sensation that something was coming. He sighed. Today was going to be an eventful day.

The morning routine contained the usual chaos. The housemaid Mey-Rin had dropped the dishes. Cook Baldroy had burnt the jus d'orange for the young master's breakfast (Sebastian was still not sure how) and they had found Finnian somewhere on the floor, sobbing because he found a dead bumblebee in the garden. By the time the earl had to be woken up, Sebastian had already cleaned away the broken plates, remade breakfast and held a funeral for the insect (Finny insisted they'd get Undertaker for the job, but Sebastian refused). When he remarked that they really should better their efforts before the afternoon guest would arrive, Bardroy asked: Sebastian, who exactly is this Lady (Y/N) that’s coming to visit us today?”

“According to the young master, Lady (Y/N)’s father was a marketing manager associated with the former Earl. He took his family with him when he went to do marketing research abroad years ago.”

“Pardon me but did I hear you saying he was a marketing manager?”

The butler sighed in annoyance over Bardroy keeping him from his work. “Yes, Lord Feridge died recently, that’s why Lady (Y/N) returned. She wants to discuss some business matters with the young master. Now if you would excuse me, I need to tend to said master,” and with that, Sebastian left.

He was glad to be away from the chaotic trio, when Snake came around the corner, nearly knocking over his food tray.

"Good morning Snake. Although it would have been less good for the both of us had you knocked down the tray."

"Beg your pardon, Black sir, says Goethe," Snake replied.

"Then, do you perhaps mind telling me where you were during the morning briefing?"

"I'm very sorry, but Emily and Wordsworth are nowhere to be found! Says Webster."

Snake was now lifting the hallway rug in his search.

Honestly, were he and Tanaka the only ones capable around the manor? Sebastian sighed.

"Well, continue your search and report to me after you've found them. I really must go and wake the young master now."

And with that, Sebastian continued on his way.

The sun had climbed significantly higher since Sebastian picked up the newspaper. The rays now peeked through the curtains in earl Ciel Phantomhive's bedroom, colouring everything orange. The earl did not seem to mind, as he was still sound asleep. Only a few strands of navy hair were visible on the fluffy pillows.

Sebastian swung open the bedroom door, and entered. Setting the tray aside, he opened the curtains. The heap of sheets on the bed stirred.

"Good morning young master. Have you slept well? This morning, I have prepared a traditional oolong tea."

Sebastian did not wait for his master to answer and poured the tea. The earl seemed to be used by it, as he groaned and stretched.

"What's for breakfast?"

"We have prepared scones and muffins."

"I prefer the scones." Ciel accepted his teacup from Sebastian.

"Certainly, my lord. This morning, your classes consist of economy studies and music lessons. This afternoon you have a meeting with the lady Feridge. After that, there is some paperwork to be done.”

Ciel took the last sip of his tea. "Better get to it, then."

Sebastian bowed, and walked towards the wardrobe.

Breakfast flew by quietly. Sebastian had not forgiven the servants for their mishaps that morning, and had put them all on tasks somewhere at the outermost corners of the mansion. That way, he was certain the young master could enjoy his morning in peace. Even the classes flew by swiftly, though Ciel did voice his dislike for the ‘dreadful lessons’. Soon, it was afternoon. Ciel was waiting in his office when he heard Finnian shout that a carriage was pulling up the driveway. He straightened himself, and headed downstairs.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Chapter Text

“It’s been a long time…”

(Y/N) looked at the tall mansion in awe. After all this time abroad, hearing barely anything but bad news about the estate, she finally made it back, and the building looked no older than it did the day she left. All that misery the letters talked about seemed to be nothing more than gossip, she could guess that much by glancing out of the window of her carriage, which stopped in front of the entrance. A man dressed in a black tailcoat opened the door.

“Welcome to the Phantomhive manor, Lady (Y/N),” the man smiled and offered her his hand.

“Let me introduce myself,” the man continued once he helped her out of the carriage. “My name is Sebastian Michaelis. I am the butler of this estate. Now, if you would follow me inside, I will escort you to my master. He is awaiting your arrival in the lobby.”

(Y/N) nodded. “Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Sebastian escorted (Y/N) inside. There, Ciel was standing next to the central stairs.

“Ah, Lady (Y/N), welcome to my estate. I am Ciel Phantomhive, the current earl. It’s very delightful to finally meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, my lord.”

“Please, have a seat. Sebastian, prepare us some tea. We will be in my study”

“As you wish,” Sebastian replied. With swift steps, he left. Ciel turned to (Y/N) again. "Well then, shall we?"

“I’m sorry to hear about Lord Feridge’s passing. My condolences,” the earl started.

“Likewise, my lord. We tried to get back to England as soon as we heard what happened to the mansion, but I was unfit to travel due to some health issues, so my family decided to stay.”

“To be honest with you, I didn’t know there was still someone associated with the former earl active in your lineage of work.”

“Well, it was more friendly errands my father would run for the late earl than work anyways. You may not know because you were far too young, but our fathers were somewhat close when it came to business.”

“Excuse me, but if they really were, I think I would have known,” the earl responded, looking a bit upset.

“I’m sorry my lord, but I can’t think of another reason why my father would mention Vincent Phantomhive in his will, let alone having the late earl sign it,” (Y/N) shoved an envelope towards Ciel, who looked at it dumbstruck. Nevertheless, he opened it and started to read out loud.

“…. As for my daughter (Y/N) Feridge, I hope my dear friend and co-operator Lord Vincent Phantomhive will take care of her until she marries. As payment, Lord Phantomhive has the right to decide together with my daughter whom she will marry. Furthermore, he is free to profit from the outcome of the marriage. Was signed, Earl George Feridge and Earl Vincent Phantomhive.”

A silence befalls the two of them. They get startled by a knock on the door.

“In,” Ciel said, trying to regain his composure. Sebastian entered, pushing a cart containing afternoon tea. While Sebastian busied himself with the porcelain cups, the tension between Lord Phantomhive and Lady Feridge was noticeable.

“Is there something wrong my lord?”

“Prepare a room for Lady (Y/N). She’ll be staying with us for a while.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Sebastian left again. Ciel got up and started pacing back and forth.

“… You don’t have to let me stay. It was your father’s promise, not yours.”

“I shall do exactly what my predecessor intended to do, though I don’t see how any of this was ever going to be beneficial for him. Probably a plea from his so-called friend… Do you have a fiancé?”

“No, but-”

“At least I get to decide alongside with you then…” Ciel sat back down, and took a sip of tea.

“I’m sorry. I know it must be a lot to handle for you as well, but I’ll promise not to be a nuisance,” (Y/N) looked at the desk apologetically.

“Never mind. Maybe we’ve started off on the wrong foot. Welcome to your new, temporary home.”

“Thank you, I guess…”

“It will take some getting used to, but I’ll make sure my servants will treat you with the utmost hospitality so you will feel at ease as soon as possible,” Ciel got up from his seat once more.

“I will have Sebastian show you around the manor. Afterwards, you can rest in your room until dinnertime.”

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Chapter Text

“Lady (Y/N), it’s time to wake up, yes it is.”

A blinding light filled the room as the maid of the household, Mey-Rin, opened the curtains. Ever since (Y/N) came to live in the Phantomhive mansion two months ago, this has been a part of her everyday routine. Mey-Rin helps her get ready for the day, she has breakfast with the earl, tries to work on marketing and developing, then afternoon tea is served and finally, she has dinner together with the earl again before retiring for the day. The only interceptions thus far have been games of chess with the earl (which she never seemed to win) and the search for a fiancé.

As (Y/N) walked down the corridor towards the dining room, she heard someone squeak.

“You’re so cute Ciel, I can’t wait ‘till you’ve seen the outfit I picked for tonight! I want ours to match!”

(Y/N) rounded the corner to find the source of the noise. A blonde girl wearing a frilly orange dress was hugging Lord Phantomhive very tight, spinning him around in her dance of joy. Sebastian looked at the scene from behind the girl, clearly debating whether he should stop her or let her continue.

The blonde girl let go of Ciel upon noticing (Y/N). “Oh hello, who is this adorable lady?”

“This is Lady (Y/N). She was an acquaintance of the former Earl Phantomhive. Moreover, she now lives here as a dying wish of her late father.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry to hear that!” The girl exclaimed in shock.

“(Y/N), this is my fiancé, Lady Elizabeth Midford.”

“Oh please, call me Lizzy. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” (Y/N) made a small bow.

“Please, allow me to escort you to the dining room. You’ll be able to talk further there,” Sebastian suggested.

“Is (Y/N) attending the ball tonight too, Ciel?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes.”

“Yes? Am I not allowed to decide for myself? I wasn’t even aware there was a ball.”

Before Ciel could make a remark, Elizabeth interrupted.

“Of course there is a ball you silly! It’s the queen’s birthday after all!”

Ciel cleared his throat. “I thought it would be an opportunity for you to search for a suitable candidate.”

“Oh. I see…” (Y/N) jabbed her fork into a piece of scrambled egg.

“I assume you are familiar with the formalities of a ball?” Ciel grabbed his napkin, having finished his breakfast already. “Otherwise, I’m sure Elizabeth is more than happy to help you.”

“Of course! We also have to decide which dress you’ll wear! You need to look good if you’re still searching for a fiancé,” she continued to talk, while (Y/N) stared annoyed towards Ciel, who gave her a look of amusement. It seemed like he had been planning this all along.

“You haven’t been to an English ball in a long time now, haven’t you (Y/N)?”

“That’s right. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling around the world for my father’s company. Most of the time we would be somewhere in Asia.”

“Oh you’re such a lucky girl to be seeing so much of the world. What was Asia like?”

“It was-”

(Y?/N) was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Milady, I have your dress right here, yes I do,” Mey-Rin walked in the room, holding a beautiful evening gown.

“I bet it will look absolutely adorable on you!” Lizzy exclaimed, grabbing the dress from Mey-Rin, and dancing with it around the room.

“Lady Elizabeth be careful!” Mey-Rin clumsily dances along, trying to retrieve the dress.

“Oh how romantic, getting to meet your fiancé at such a grand ball…” Lizzy swoons.

“Hold on miss, there’s no telling for certain that I’ll actually meet someone…” (Y/N) scuffs the floor. Finding a fiancé that Ciel approved of was hard. It seemed like the earl would turn down every man presenting themselves until he’d find one he could actually benefit from.

“Don’t be silly. We’re going to make you irresistible!” Lizzy continued. “Now then! Time to get to work!”

Lizzy’s grip was so tight that (Y/N) couldn’t possibly protest. Before she knew it, she was donning a stunning gala dress.

“(Y/N) you look so beautiful!” Lizzy jumped up and down, while Mey-Rin awed at (Y/N) with a blush. (Y/N) looked at herself in the mirror. ‘You know what?’ She thought. ‘This might actually work.’

From her seat, (Y/N) could see the long line of carriages waiting to pull up to the grand doors of Buckingham Palace. “Looks like we’re not the only guests this evening.”

“Of course not,” Lizzy laughed. With her frilly dress, she made the space inside the carriage pretty occupied, bubt (Y/N) didn’t mind. Lizzy had insisted that she and Ciel would be sitting next to each other, so (Y/N) had her own side of the coach.

“I heard that Her Majesty invited Johan Strauss II to play this evening. This is bound to be an interesting night,” Sebastian’s voice cut in from the open carriage window.

“Then we can dance together, Ciel!”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh come on. It’s not common for Her Majesty to hold a grand ball like this. Not since prince Albert died.”

“Something tells me it wasn’t her decision to throw one anyway,” Ciel breathed, so Lizzy couldn’t hear. But (Y/N) did.

“Who do you think proposed the idea then?”

“I don’t know. My best guess is John Brown, but perhaps it could have been one of the Double Charles.”

“Double Charles?”

“The private secretaries and butlers for Her Majesty. Their actual names are sir Charles Phipps and earl Charles Grey. They cause more problems than solving them, if you ask me.”

“I like them. I had fencing lessons with them when I was younger,” Lizzy explained.

“Charles Grey… As in the Earl Grey tea?”

“An invention from his father. Now that he passed away, Charles has all the benefits.”

“I know. His father worked together with mine.”

“That’s right. You have a tea company as well, don’t you (Y/N)?” Lizzy asked.

“Yes, though the Grey family focuses on black tea, and my company is more interested in Oolong teas and herbal teas.”

Lizzy was about to ask another question, when Sebastian opened the carriage door.

“We have arrived.”

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Chapter Text

(Y/N) took Sebastian’s hand and stepped out on the porch. Before her was the breathtaking sight of Buckingham Palace. A nudge from Lizzy brought her back.

“Don’t forget your objective for tonight,” she winked. They walked up the front stairs together. Of course a ball hosted by the queen came with certain formalities. There were guards at every section of the palace, and guests had to identify and show their invitations to get inside.

Once the hustle was over, a host accompanied them to the ballroom. There, they caught a glimpse of queen Victoria herself, on a throne in the center of the furthest wall. She was dressed in all black, and wore a veil. Divided over both her sides were three men dressed in white. One of the men caught (Y/N)’s interest.

“That’s Charles Grey,” Lizzy whispered. (Y/N) nodded. Suddenly, earl Grey turned his head, and his gaze met (Y/N)’s. She quickly looked away.

“Did he notice you?” Lizzy giggled.

“Sssh ladies. They’re going to make an announcement,” Sebastian hushed.

One of the three men stepped forward. Despite it becoming dusk outside, he was still wearing sunglasses. The crowd became silent.

“On behalf of her majesty, I would like to wholeheartedly welcome all of you to Buckingham Palace to celebrate her birthday. Her special gratitude goes out to sir Johan Strauss II, who was so endearing to play for us tonight. Any minute now he and his orchestra will start to play, and the queen invites everyone to merrily engage in dancing. But before that, we will sing God Save The Queen in her honour.”

The orchestra played a tune, and soon enough the ballroom was filled with voices. (Y/N) sang along. Even though it has been a long time ago since she last paid homage to England’s ruler, she never forgot the lyrics. The man with the sunglasses bowed upon the ending of the song.

“Thank you.”

He then stepped back. The queen leaned over to him, and whispered something.

“One more thing. Her majesty would like you all to know that the wine that was picked out for this evening is solely wine from the year 1819, the year in which our late prince Albert died.”

“All hail prince Albert, may he rest in peace.” Was the answer of the guests. The orchestra started playing again, and (Y/N) followed Lizzy and Ciel towards a table.

“Please excuse me, I shall fetch all of you something to drink,” Sebastian bowed out.

“How typically beautiful of her majesty. Even the wine is modelled around her beloved prince Albert,” a voice behind (Y/N) spoke.

“Viscount Druitt?!” Ciel jumped from his chair.

“Ah yes lord Phantomhive! I have an urgent matter to discuss with you! I heard you were in the possession of an extraordinary young woman in search for a man! So I, Viscount Druitt, would like to present myself!”

“Not a chance,” Ciel spat.

“Now now lord Phantomhive, don’t be so rash with conclusions, let me first introduce myself to the young lady.” The Viscount’s eye then fell on (Y/N).

“And this must be her! My delicate robin, I am so happy to meet you.” The Viscount bowed gracefully.

“I wished I could say the pleasure is all mine, but I do have to press that I am, in fact, nobody’s possession.” (Y/N) crossed her arms.

“Why of course not, milady! Don’t worry, I shall court you-”

“There will be none courting this evening, thank you,” Sebastian interrupted the Viscount.

“Now if you would please move out of the way so I can serve my master.”

The Viscount gazes with an estimated look at Sebastian, figured that he wouldn’t make it out unscratched if he would cross him, and walked away grumbling.

“What in the blazes was that all about?” (Y/N) shivered. That creepy man gave her the goosebumps.

“With the odd Viscount, you can never tell,” Ciel sighed.

“Thank you Sebastian,” Lizzy said after Sebastian put down their drinks.

Ciel, at the other hand, seemed as brooding and glum as the queen.

“I’m done with this already.”

“Cheer up Ciel, it’s a celebration after all. How about we participate in the next dance?”

“For the last time Lizzy, I’m too tired to dance.”

“Maybe you won’t touch the dancefloor tonight, my lord, but there seems to be someone heading over for lady Feridge.”

(Y/N) followed Sebastian’s gesture. From across the room, Carles Grey was walking towards their table, his eyes fixated on her.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Chapter Text

“You are not going to dance with him.”

“Incorrect. as opposed to my fiancé, my dance partner is something you have absolutely no say in,” (Y/N) smirked. Ciel scoffed.

“No matter what you think of him, he seems like a decent gentleman, and I’d be honoured for a dance.”

“What a relief, I was just about to ask.”

Charles Grey had made his way over to the table, and was now holding out his arm for (Y/N), who took it gracefully. Lizzy cheered.

“Have fun!”

Once on the dancefloor, Charles gently placed one hand on (Y/N)’s side, and placed his other had over hers. The orchestra initiated a waltz. (Y/N) let Charles take the lead, and together they swayed over the dancefloor. His grey eyes glinstered mischievously.

“If I’m not mistaken, I am having the pleasure to be dancing with lady (Y/N) Feridge, am I?”

“Correct. And the pleasure is all mine. I haven’t seen you in a long time, lord Charles Grey.”

“I believe your family moved all over the world, not?”

“Correct again. Though my father passed away while we were staying in India.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. He was a good colleague of my own late father.”

“A good colleague would be an understatement. Had my father not convinced the late earl Grey last minute to come with him to China, we wouldn’t have any Earl Grey tea at all.”

Charles smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t tend to underestimate things.”

They twirled. While spinning, (Y/N) caught a glimpse of the other white-haired male next to the Queen.

“So you and the other Charles are working as her majesty’s butlers now?”

“Butlers and private secretaries. I take modest pride in my duty.”

“Excuse me, but earl Charles Grey and being modest?” This time, it was (Y/N) who smiled.

“I have grown out of my attitude since childhood, I can assure you,” Charles answered earnesty.

“I was merely teasing,” (Y/N) admitted.

“Speaking about teasing, what did Viscount Druitt want from you? He seemed very upset when he left the table.”

“He tried to court me, since I’m still looking for a fiancé.”

“Oh is that so…” Was all Charles said. The waltz ended. Charles let go of (Y/N) though she was wearing multiple layers of clothing, she could feel a warm spot where his hand had been resting. Her hands were warm too. Charles bowed.

“I must return to her majesty’s side. It was lovely seeing you again, lady (Y/N).”

“Likewise, earl Grey.”

Had they been spinning that much that everything around her blurred as Charles walked away?

Another waltz came on, and (Y/N) hurried to the sideline, back to the table.

“And?” Lizzy immediately began. (Y/N) felt a blush creep onto her cheeks.

“It was pleasant,” she quickly said.

“Good, let’s keep it at that.” Ciel was leaning with his head on his hand, staring at the dancefloor. (Y/N) felt a small twinge of dread. Ciel wasn’t fond of Charles. There was no way he’d ever allow her to marry him. Then, the twinge grew into a heavy feeling in her stomach. Maybe Charles was engaged already. Or married. No, he wouldn’t ask her to dance if he had a wife, would he? (Y/N) didn’t see a wedding ring either.

“(Y/N)? Helloooo…”

(Y/N) shook out of her thoughts when Lizzy waved a hand in front of her face.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

“I was asking if you’d like to come along to one of my fencing classes. Maybe you could impress Charles with some basic techniques.”

“Don’t even think about it Lizzy,” Ciel warned her. “I do not approve of Charles and that’s final.”

Lizzy pouted. (Y/N) pouted internally. Her heart had sunk. There goes another potential partner. She hastily downed her glass to hide her red face.

“Easy on the wine, lady Feridge. 1819 was not a very good year.”

Sebastian’s advice came too late. (Y/N) pulled a sour face, earning laughter from Lizzy and a roll of the eye from Ciel.

Lizzy’s laughter turned into a yawn.

“I guess it’s time to go home,” Ciel concluded. He got up, and offered Lizzy an arm. Together, they walked towards the doors, with Sebastian and (Y/N) in tow. (Y/N) watched them enviously. If only her father had decided whom she should marry before he passed away…

All in all, it hadn’t been that bad an evening, (Y/N) thought as she was sitting in the carriage back to the mansion. Even though she greatly missed her family, she was glad she had returned to England. Especially when she sunk deep into her pillows, exhausted from the day, and she could fall asleep effortlessly, without having to worry where she would travel tomorrow.

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Chapter Text

Another two months passed at the Phantomhive estate. Lizzy had been swinging by occasionally, visiting her while her betrothed was on an errand for the queen at some high-classed school. She even taught (Y/N) as much about fencing as she could before the earl would return. The earl returned earlier than expected, and the lessons became rare after that. Still, Lizzy hadn’t given up on (Y/N) getting together with Charles Grey, and, (Y/N) had to admit, she herself hadn’t either. She caught herself daydreaming about that night in the ballroom multiple times, and had even seen the earl’s white hair and lashes in her dreams at night. Luckily for her, she had made good friends with another white-haired boy within the mansion, to distract herself. Snake had been thankful for (Y/N) when she found his lost snakes on day one of her stay (they weren’t that hard to find, perched atop her dresser). They had talked a lot whenever Snake caught a break. Though she always did the talking, and he was always the listener. That late afternoon, (Y/N) had been reading in the garden, when Snake passed by. Halfy fantasizing away, (Y/N) had mumbled something about dancing.

“You’re really not giving up, aren’t you? Clinging on to our prey much like us, says Oscar,” Snake had shaken her out of her thoughts.

“The hopeless romantic side I’ve inherited from my mother is sticking its tongue out at me. Is that like a snake too?”

“It enhances our sense of smell and taste, says Bronte.”

“Well, my taste in men doesn’t seem to please the earl a lot. Another two turned down today. And he still hasn’t changed his mind about Charles Grey…”

Snake sat down next to (Y/N). Normally, this would be the part where (Y/N) would go and tell Snake all about her troubles. Today, though, she didn’t feel like it.

“Say Snake, I heard you used to work as a snake charmer at a circus. Right?”

“That’s right milady, says Emily.”

“I reckon not too many people were fond of your snakes.”

“We tend to have a scary nature. Joker and the others didn’t mind. They took us in like family.”

“I’ve met someone in Holland who was interested in snakes. He said some types of venom could also be used in cures.”

“Did he really? Says Webster.” Snake now turned toward (Y/N), a surprised look in his eyes.

“Yes. He told me snakes are very helpful creatures. The use of snake venom in treatments has been long known in East-Indian tribes, but recently made its way to the modern world.”

“Maybe you should see your problem with lord Grey in the same way, says Oscar.”

“What does snake venom have to do with my fiancé problem?”

“Well, they made snake venom into something useful, right? Says Emily. Maybe you could convince Smile that he can indeed profit from your betrothal in some way, says Webster.”

(Y/N)’s face lit up. She jumped up and applauded the footman.

“Snake, you’re a genius! What a brilliant idea!”

“Do, do you mean that? Asks Oscar.” Snake blinked his eyes. Clearly no one complimented him like that before.

“Now we only need to figure out what about Charles would be useful to Ciel…”

Just as Snake was about to make another remark, Sebastian came outside.

“Lady Feridge, dinner is ready.”

“What? You’re going to Germany?”

(Y/N) almost dropped her knife.

“On the queen’s orders, my household will travel to Germany for an investigation.”

“But, how long will you be gone?”

“The duration of the investigation is uncertain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it would last a month at least.”

(Y/N) looked at Ciel in disbelief.

“A whole month? What do you expect me to do in the meantime?”

“You will stay with Elizabeth and her family. They have agreed to take you in for the time being.”

(Y/N) calmed down after hearing this. At least Ciel did not expect her to travel along.

“We will be leaving in two days. Make sure you pack thoroughly.”

(Y/N) nodded, her mouth filled with the delicious cookings the servants always prepared. Ciel clicked his tongue at her. Sometimes (Y/N) had the feeling it wasn’t just her choice of men he disapproved of.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Chapter Text

The Midford estate was just as grand as the Phantomhive mansion. It’s rustic and elaborate appearance were befitting of a Marquess. As soon as (Y/N) stepped inside the manor, she was welcomed by the energetic head of the family, Alexis Leon Midford. He gave her a grand tour through the entire building (though (Y/N) was sure she would get lost regardless) and ordered his maids to show her her room. Her bedroom represented the rest of the estate perfectly: spacious, lavishly decorated and welcoming. (Y/N) had just freshened up when Lizzy barged in. She and her mother had just finished shopping, and she was so excited to have (Y/N) over as a guest, that she bought her a dress for a celebration that same night.

“Thank you for the thoughtful gift, Lizzy, but you really didn’t have to.” (Y/N) said, feeling guilty she had gifted nothing but a general present to the manor in gratitude. Maybe she should have given Lizzy something on her own. (Y/N) made a mental note to buy Lizzy something the next time she was in town.

“I insist. I did invite a very special guest for tonight as well.” Lizzy gave (Y/N) a meaningful look. (Y/N)’s heart jumped.

“You mean you invited earl Grey?”

“Right you are dear! You’ll have the opportunity to talk to him all evening during dinner!”

“Oh Lizzy, that’s wonderful!” (Y/N) exclaimed. She had looked forward to seeing him again. The Queen’s birthday seemed ages ago. And getting to talk with him without Ciel’s watchful eye on her would be a relief.

Suddenly, (Y/N) was reminded of Snake’s idea.

“Say Lizzy, can I talk to you about something?”

The other girl sat down on the edge of (Y/N)’s bed. “What is it?”

(Y/N) told Lizzy about her chats with Snake, and the suggestion he had made.

“I suppose that seems possible…” Lizzy said after (Y/N) was done explaining, her hand on her chin.

“We just need to figure out how Ciel would profit from me marrying earl Grey. You’re absolutely sure he isn’t engaged already?”

“Positive, dear,” Lizzy nodded. “Who knows, maybe you can interrogate Charles Grey in an subtle way about the matter tonight. Right now, we need to focus on making you the shining star of the dinner party!” Lizzy picked up the dress, and pulled (Y/N) up from the bed.

(Y/N) wasn’t sure if it was the corset of her nerves which made it hard to breath as she walked down the main stairs towards the dining hall. Lizzy had made sure that Paula, her maid, strapped the corset extra tight around her body and, fragile as she may seem, Paula had trapped (Y/N) in a deadly constriction. She was almost certain getting wrapped up by one of Snake’s Boa Constrictors would be less painful. She however clenched her jaw. She wouldn't let herself be bested by clothing on a special night like this. She was thankful towards Lizzy for setting this up, and she was going to make the most of it. She tried to breathe as deeply as she could, and nodded towards a servant to open the double doors of the dining room.

Inside, the marquess, Lizzy and Lizzy’s brother Edward were already waiting. The servant guided her to her seat. Lizzy told (Y/N) that she had arranged a seat for her right next to earl Grey. When (Y/N) took place, however, the seat next to her was still empty. Lizzy, who was sitting across the table, shot her a smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll arrive soon.”

Then, the servant announced the arrival of Lizzy’s mother. (Y/N) got up from her seat. Lizzy’s mother was a stern and proper woman, Ciel had told her, and (Y/N) had to behave with the utmost care around her. The lady in question, Francis Midford, was the sister of Ciel’s mother. She walked over to (Y/N), who bowed.

“Madam the marchioness, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Equally so, Lady Feridge. I hope you found your accommodations to your liking.”

“They are lovely, my lady.”

Marquess Midford sat down, and (Y/N) followed her example. Soon after, the servants announced the arrival of the guests. One by one, they entered, bowed, and were seated. It seemed like forever until a servant finally exclaimed “Earl Charles Grey”.

(Y/N) felt the blood rush to her cheeks the moment he walked over. She had dreamt about seeing him again, but gazing at him in the live flesh was a hundred times better than she could imagine.

Now that the party was complete, the servants served the food, and soon the dining room was filled with the chatter of the guests and the clinking of silverware.

“How lovely to be seated next to the guest of honour,” Grey opened the conversation between two bites of his fork. He seemed to have quite the appetite.

“I hope you’ve been doing well, Earl Grey.”

“Please, call me Charles,” He said, as he took a sip of wine. “And I’ve been doing extraordinary,” he continued.

“I’m glad to hear that, Charles.” Calling him by his first name alone felt good. (Y/N) quickly glanced over to Lizzy, who was talking to Lord Everett, a knight in her father’s order.

“So, how is the search for a betrothed going?” Charles asked. (Y/N) choked on her drink. Trying to to cough all over the table and holding back tears, she managed to answer. “Not very good.”

“Honestly, is lord Phantomhive really that picky?”

“What makes you so sure the fault is his and not mine?” (Y/N) answered after she had recovered.

“You look like a woman who knows what she wants. I can’t imagine you don’t already have someone in mind. Perhaps one of the men who presented themselves to you.”

(Y/N) had to try her best not to sound busted. “It does not matter as long as lord Phantomhive disagrees, but he has all the right to choose someone he can benefit from.”

“Forgive me for saying this, but I think that’s a very wrong thing in the first place. Why should lord Phantomhive profit from the marriage of a girl he has met merely months ago? What right does he have to choose for you?”

“It was a promise of my father to his.”

“Well, that changes the game…” Charles toyed with his fork.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if I’ve learnt anything about the late predecessor of the current earl Phantomhive, it’s that he wouldn’t make such ties if he had nothing planned ahead…”

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Chapter Text

(Y/N) wasn’t really sure what Charles meant with that statement, but Charles had brushed it off as quickly as he cleaned his plates (there was quite a stack of them now on his part of the table) as he pressed the subject.

“So, (Y/N). What do you look for in a suitable suitor?”

(Y/N) was too embarrassed to look Charles in the eye.

“Well, I, uh…”

That’s when Lizzy cut in.

“Lord Grey, did you know that (Y/N) has been following fencing lessons?”

“Really now? Don’t you know that playing with swords is dangerous for a woman?” Charles smirked. He then patted his belly, and sighed. “Ah, I’m so full I couldn’t possibly say dessert. Oh wait, I said it anyways!” He happily accepted a plate from a passing servant. (Y/N) and Lizzy looked at him in disbelief.

“I suppose you’re the one teaching her then, Lady Midford?” Charles asked. Lizzy nodded.

“What other past-times does (Y/N) enjoy?”

“I enjoy reading, playing the piano and horseback riding.”

“Seems like we have another thing in common.”

“You like riding horseback? You and (Y/N) should ride horseback together sometime!” Lizzy pointed her spoon at the pair of them.

“Why not? Sounds fun. How about somewhere in the next two weeks? I’ll have to see when I’ll have the time in between her majesty’s duties for me, but I will make sure to send a notice ahead.”

(Y/N) smiled. “That sounds delightful.”

The rest of the evening flew by quickly. After dessert, it was soon time for the guests to depart again, including Charles.

“That was quite the fantastic meal. I look forward to seeing you again, (Y/N),” he said as he approached his carriage. (Y/N) and Lizzy waved until Charles was out of sight. They then slumped against the doorframe.

“Ugh I’m so full. This corset is truly killing me,” (Y/N) complained.

“Say what you want, but you looked truly dashing tonight,” Lizzy told her.

“Thank you Lizzy. For everything.” (Y/N) meant it. Lizzy had grown on her since the day she met her at the Phantomhive estate.

“You can repay me by trying your best to convince Ciel of you and Charles. You make the cutest couple together! Well, almost as cute as me and Ciel.”

(Y/N) felt the cool night breeze whipping up her skirt. She looked up at the stars. Just what had Charles meant by the late earl Phantomhive planning everything ahead. She shook her head. She shouldn’t worry about such a thing. As long as she got to spend time with Charles, what did it matter?

Now that (Y/N) was at the Midford manor, she and Lizzy had all the time to pick up her fencing lessons whenever they felt like it. Even Lizzy’s mother joined them occasionally. She was a top-notch sword wielder herself, as expected. one particular hot day, while (Y/N) and Lizzy were practising outside, the head maid came walking towards them.

“Lady Feridge. A letter for you.”

(Y/N) looked at the consignor.

“Buckingham Palace…”

Lizzy hurried over as (Y/N) perched herself against a tall oak tree.

“Is it a letter from Charles?”

(Y/N) opened the letter and began reading aloud.

To my dearest lady Feridge,

I am happy to invite you to the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace on the 12th of august forthcoming, for an exclusive tour combined with an afternoon ride on horseback.

I will be awaiting your arrival at 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Kind regards,

Earl George Charles William Albert Grey

Private secretary of Her Majesty Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India.

“A private tour through the Royal Mews? How exquisite!” Marques Midford, who was just taking an afternoon scroll through the garden, had stopped to listen to the letter, exclaimed.

“How romantic, you mean! And so soon! The 12th is tomorrow” Lizzy joined her father in celebration.

“You can join me there. I have an inspection scheduled at the royal palace,” said the marques.

“Thank you very much, lord Midford.” (Y/N) gripped the letter tightly. Was this Charles Grey trying to court her? Or was this just an act out of friendship? (Y/N) was determined to find out by the end of tomorrow.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Chapter Text

“(Y/N), don’t be so nervous, your palms are all sweaty,” Lizzy groaned as she tried to fit on a pair of gloves on (Y/N).

“I’m not nervous. It’s the warm weather,” (Y/N) protested, but she knew she was lying. She hadn’t slept all night thinking about this afternoon. How was she going to find out what the earl felt for her? What was she going to ask him? Her head was still buzzing with worries when it was time to climb into the carriage opposite of lord Midford. The ride towards the palace wouldn’t take too long, (Y/N) knew, as the Midford estate wasn’t that far away from London.

“Do you visit Buckingham Palace often, marques?”

“On occasion, my dear. When duty calls for it, you can find me there.”

For a little while, there was a silence between the two of them. Then lord Midford asked: “How is the tea business doing?”

“It is thriving, marquess. The profits have nearly doubled since two years ago. It seems the grounds in China became even more fruitful than my predecessor initially thought.”

“I am glad to hear that. Your father was a remarkable man.”

(Y/N) nodded. “He was indeed.” Though she missed him greatly, the last few months had been unraveling new details about him, and (Y/N) wondered if she ever really knew her father. She remembers how mad she was when she found out someone unknown to her would be deciding who she would marry. She had screamed and cried how unfair it was for her father to arrange such a thing. But with both her parents gone and no siblings to comfort her, she had no other choice but to honour her father’s dying wishes. So with nowhere else to go, she had turned to lord Phantomhive. A man her father spoke grandly about, though it seemed he had lost his own battle as well. Or…

“Ah, there we are.” the marquis shook (Y/N) out of her thoughts. She looked out the window. To her surprise, the royal palace was nowhere to be seen.

“Weren’t the stables near the palace?”

The marques laughed. “The Mews are at the other side of her majesty’s private garden, right here.” He nodded towards the arched gate, flanked by two guards. “This is your stop.”

“Thank you again, marques.” (Y/N) stepped out of the carriage as one of the guards opened the door. The marques simply waved at her, and his carriage continued, disappearing around the corner.

“We humbly welcome you to the Royal Mews, lady Feridge,” the guard said.

“Earl Grey is waiting for you inside,” continued the other guard, while opening the gates. (Y/N) walked in.

The arched main pathway contained many stoïc pillars, and led to an open square. The square held what appeared to be the guest carriages. (Y/N) took a look around, when Charles appeared from behind one of the coaches.

“Ah, (Y/N), how very lovely to see you. Welcome to the Royal Mews.” He bowed with an amused face upon reading (Y/N)’s spooked reaction.

“That was not funny,” (Y/N) pouted, her face turning red. Charles shook his head, and offered her his arm. “Would you be so kind as to join me for tea in the royal carriage venue?”

The centerpiece of the royal carriage venue was the Gold State Coach. The grand masterpiece had been used for the coronation of the three most recent monarchs of England; king George IV, king William IV and finally, queen Victoria. These events were immortalized in life-sized paintings adorning the walls of the room. Near the golden coach a table and two chairs had been placed. It looked like the tea was already served. Charles pulled back a chair for (Y/N), before sitting down himself.

“I’m glad you could make it on such a short notice,” he began, taking a biscuit off one of the plates on the table.

“Lizzy and I were practising fencing when the letter arrived. She and her father stood on it that I’d reschedule to come here.”

“Still playing with swords? When will you learn that’s a dangerous thing for a lady to do?”

“Excuse me but Elizabeth Midford happens to be one of the best fencers I know.”

“Lady Midford has a lot of natural talent, that goes without saying,” Charles agreed, taking another biscuit. “So, what do you think of the Mews up to this point?”

“The carriages certainly look beautiful,” (Y/N) said, looking around.

“Why of course, they need to be befitting of a royal head.”

(Y/N) looked at Charles in admiration. “You really are very loyal to queen Victoria, aren’t you?”

“I am honoured to serve her majesty is all,” Charles answered. He then got up. “I’m quite bored of tea already. How about I show you the horses?”

(Y/N) blinked in surprise. “Sure…”

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

[ajokeformur-ray]

Loooooooooooong rant, spoilers and pictures under the cut!

For those of you who don’t know what Mary Reilly is, it’s a book written by Valerie Martin detailing the well-known and loved story of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde from the eyes of his housemaid, Mary Reilly (obviously). The film adaptation was directed by Stephen Frears in 1996.

I first saw the film when I was sixteen and this film both ruined my life and made me whole, similar to what happens to our protagonists. Once I’d seen the film, I hungered for more and with some quick stalking research, found and bought the book, listened to the musical and fell quite happily down the rabbit hole.

Over time, during which I’ve watched the film hundreds of times and read the book just as many times (no exaggeration, I used to watch the film twice a day and read the book while watching the film - did someone say obsessed?), I’ve come to see Mary Reilly and Doctor Jekyll/Mr Hyde as parental figures. Not because my own parents are lacking (they’re really not, they’re both amazing and I love them a lot) but because through this book, through the film, I found understanding, acceptance and love.

What Henry represses, Edward expresses, and Mary loves them for it. They see darkness in her and she sees darkness in them and they each answer to the others’ lonely call. Mary appears simple on the surface, just a housemaid who loves her job despite having to work from dawn to dusk every day with only Thursday afternoons off, but she’s multi-layered and so, so intelligent. She’s sarcastic, elegant, beautiful, deeply traumatised but positive, she’s a deep thinker, a would-be academic, and I just completely adore her.

Mary and Henry initially have polite conversation and it slowly~ develops into friendship but as the film goes on, as the chapters in the book pass, they fall more and more in love and lead each other down this tragic road. If I could give them any gift, any gift at all, it would be time. Time to let their love story develop, blossom, become what it should have been, which would be scandalous for the Era in which it’s based, but so beautiful.

I mentioned understanding earlier and perhaps I should elaborate. Mary often feels loneliness, she’s not alone but she’s not happy. She is only happy when she’s serving Henry, and that’s her purpose in life. She knows and has accepted her position in society, but something tells me that she doesn’t like it. She eyes his bookshelves with interest and got caught by him (not that she knew she’d been caught - he told her over breakfast the next morning and then offered her full access to his study, though she turned it down because “I wouldn’t want to other servants to think I was getting above myself”) reading one of his books about monarchy. Poetry and history are her curiosities and she’s unable to explore them because it’s not her place to and even if it was, her job doesn’t allow her the time.

I understand Mary, I understand wanting more from one’s life. I understand what it’s like to look at yourself in the mirror and wonder if your love would like what they would see. I understand staring up at the ceiling, too busy thinking to be able to sleep but yearning for it all the same. I understand her. I also understand Doctor Jekyll. He wanted to possess both good and evil, or in his words, “to be the knife as well as the wound”, he wanted to live and let live and to not be judged for it. He held an unholy power and what he wanted, he ultimately became when it was too late, far too late, to turn back. In this case, evil is certainly stronger than good. I understand Edward Hyde, too. I understand his fear that life will be over before he’s done exploring, before he’s done living. I’m twenty years old and I often feel this irrational fear of time running out, even though I’m so young and there’s so much ahead of me. As they’re my parental figures, I found understanding and acceptance within each of them.

There are several points in both the film and the book in which there is something, something unsaid that lies between Master and Housemaid. When Henry says stuff such as, “I’m trying to think of some request whereby I may keep you with me a little longer, Mary,” and she immediately responds with, “You need only say, sir, and I will not go.” I just.... They were so close to being what they should have been and I just feel sick every time I realise that Edward Hyde both ripped them apart and brought them together.

I mean, look at this:

They went from this -

To this -

In a matter of months. All they needed was more time.

So yes, I wish they had more time to become the best power couple to ever exist in Victorian London.

If I was in the household with them, I’d only be two years younger than Mary. But they’d still be my parental figures. If I could, I’d get to know them as family and then one night, when it’s cold and wet and I’m feeling lonely, I’d go into Henry’s study and just ask him to adopt me formally. Flat out just ask him, with the forms already in my hand so I can’t back out because his curiosity would mean that even if I didn’t mention it, he would ask and I would have no choice but to follow through with my wish, knowing that if Henry didn’t press me into telling him, Edward would sooner or later. 

I’m afraid of the dark, so much so that I need two small lights and some music before I can even consider turning the main light off, and every night when I burrow down I imagine going down Mary’s stairs and standing outside Henry’s door, knocking and then just walking in, throwing myself down on the bed when Edward Hyde is already on the bed (he’s the man below in the picture) and just sleeping next to him. He’d arch an eyebrow at me but he wouldn’t stop me, and his hand would find a way into my hair and I’d lay there next to one of my two dads and just go to sleep, safe in the company of Henry’s real side. He’d be reading a book on the bed and I’d wriggle under the gap between his arms and the bed, and stay there. Sometimes Mary would be there too, just writing in her journal.

See? Even his true self loves Mary. 

I would learn to cook with Mrs. Kent. I would swap jokes and disgusting stories with Mr. Bradshaw and spend time with Annie, helping her with the pots. I would help Mary with the chores and learn the way of Victorian life. I would even spend time with Mr.Poole just to see what he does. I would sit with Henry in his study and just talk to him over a glass of port, the fire blazing and Mary dusting the shelves or sitting with us while rain lashes against the windows. Edward would teach me self-defence or go on errands with me... And every night I’d crawl into Henry/Edward’s or Mary’s bed and sleep beside them, safe. 

This series has come to mean so much to me that when I changed my name, Reilly became my middle name so there’s always that little piece of this dream I have with me. 

I have cried, sobbed, screamed, laughed, smiled, squealed, dreamed of and about, thought of, written about, read about, questioned, explored and loved this book and film which I find very underrated. This book, these pages, this film and the characters within are my family and I don’t know who I’d be without them in my life. Would Edward find me annoying and would he mock me to all Hell for admitting all this? Yes, he would. If he could, he’d likely use it against me, too. Would Henry smile politely and then say, “Excuse me, there is something that I must do.” and sweep from the room, uncomfortable? Yes, probably. Would Mary mumble some kind of thanks and carry on working? Maybe. But I like to think that they would love and cherish me as much as I love and cherish them.

I just... My heart bleeds when I indulge in these characters but at the same time, they’re everything I never knew I needed.

[kdreamscenario]

The Boss’ Girl Ch. 1

Lee Minwoo (Shinhwa) x Reader x Jeon Jungkook (BTS)

Office!AU

Rated: G 

Word Count: 3343

A/N: Here’s the first chapter for the Jungkook project I’ve been working on.  It’s mostly just an introduction so bare with me on this one.  Warning!!! This is going to get very smutty!!!  Lots of Dom/Sub, slight BDSM, and all kinds of kinky stuff.   I feel a bit stupid I’ve had this idea all planned out since the Celebrity Bromance episode the two of them did together but just never sat down to write it.  Please give some feed back if it’s something you guys are going to be interested in?

7:55 AM you come into your boss’ office.  His morning cup of coffee placed on the coaster by the phone.  ¼ cup half and half, two teaspoons of raw sugar, and ¾ cup of Starbucks dark roast coffee in his favorite mug.  By now there’s no need to measure it out because you know by sight and muscle memory.  

The three leading business journals and newspapers are stacked in just the right order on the right hand side.  The days tentative schedule typed with checkboxes lays on top of them.  It’s also on both of your tablets but he likes the paper copy just for the satisfaction of checking the boxes when something is accomplished.  

After giving the desk and room a look over to be sure everything is neat and in place you head for the front of the office.  Your watch clicks to 8:00 AM and the elevator dings.  Like an interminable coo-coo clock your boss comes through the door with a pleasant good morning though his forward pace never stops for the greeting.  

You click the door back shut and follow along behind him.  Back in his private office he hands you his suit jacket that you hang on the rack.  He takes his seat, a small sip of coffee, a sigh, and picks up today’s agenda.  While he gives it a thorough read through you stand beside him with the tablet in hand for instructions.  

“Not too much going on today outside the office.  That’s good.  No major messes to clean up or meetings.  Also good.  And just the two of us for lunch today?  Very good.”  He finishes off his thought with a wink in your direction.  

“Alright dear, unless anything of importance comes up, which I hope it doesn’t, I’ll see you at 11:45.”  He smiles and barely waits for your “yes sir” before picking up the first newspaper.  Nothing more is needed to be said for you to excuse yourself out to your own desk.

Day after day for the past three years has been exactly this way.  Being the personal secretary for Lee Minwoo has been a blissful and stable life.  Most of the time it was almost too easy to help your very predictable boss.  The man loves order and simplicity and it shows in every aspect of his company.  

That is to say he likes those things in his work life.  Lee Minwoo outside of work is a very different person.  Once he was out of the office for the day his adventures were ever changing.  He loves to try all sorts of new things with his friends.  As his work secretary there is only one part of that Lee Minwoo that you ever really get to see and that is his love life.  Mainly meaning you.  

It’s no secret to even some people outside of the company that you are Lee Minwoo’s girl.  Not a girlfriend or arranged fiancé or anything of the sort, just his girl.  His favorite play thing when he could have any number of nice toys.  That is exactly how the two of you like your relationship to be.  

Your common day ends quickly with your phone alarm buzzing 4:55 PM.  You rise from your seat and head into Minwoo’s private office.  He doesn’t look up at you until you’re in your place beside him with the tablet.  He’s quick to tell you all the things that got done today, which of course is the whole checklist, and tell you what to put on the list for tomorrow.  

“I see here that we have some new interns coming tomorrow?”  He adds glancing through an open e-mail.  “Yes sir, four new ones.”  You answer.  “Good let’s go to meet them at 1:30 after we return from lunch with the accountant firm then.  Make sure you’ve got my favorite suit and red tie ready for me in the morning.  You know how I like to intimidate the new blood.”  He adds a devious chuckle.  

5:00 PM on the dot hits and he’s got his jacket on and out the door.  His office looks like he had never been there at all.  You make up and print out the checklist for tomorrow, send an e-mail to the downstairs main secretaries to inform them of the bosses meeting time with the interns, and make a phone call to Minwoo’s housemaid to pick up and prep the suit for tomorrow.  Another perfect day finished.  

The next day begins the same as all the others.  You work diligently at your desk until 11:45 when the two of you head out for the business lunch.  Normally a secretary wouldn’t dare eat with the important businessmen but Minwoo always insists you stay right beside him.  When he first started this habit the other men were appalled at you being there but over time they grew used to your practically non-existent presence.  

It was all boring business talk that you payed just enough attention to so you could keep mental notes for Minwoo later.  Beside that you simply tuned them out and politely ate your lunch in peace.  On the very rare occasion that Minwoo or one of the other men spoke directly to you it wasn’t hard to make pleasant small talk until they ignored you once again.  

The oldest generation of wealthy individuals could never get comfortable with the thought that you simply were just a secretary and not a love interest.  Many of them push the question at each meeting if the two of you were engaged yet to which you both always declined.  Anywhere that Minwoo was invited to he would bring you along when everyone else brought their dates or wives.  It made their heads spin with gossip and questions.  

Even today the old men around the table would continue to give furtive glances in your direction any time they thought you weren’t looking.  One of them even had the nerve to try and make you look like a fool by asking you a quite difficult political opinion when they thought you weren’t paying any attention.  All of them are greatly disappointed when you give a very fair and witty response.  

“Nice job in there as always my dear.  I do love the way we make their poor little heads spin.”  Minwoo purrs in your ear when you’re in the car on your way back to the office.  You give him a coy smile to let him know you enjoy it just as much as he does.  “Such a good pet I have.”  He hums and runs a light touch along your neck.  You figure he must be in a particularly good mood today to be giving you this kind of skinship before 5 o’clock.  Though he doesn’t push it much farther than that, only keeping a firm hand on your thigh for the rest of the car ride.  

Back inside the building he’s all conservative business again.  The desk secretary lets him know where the interns are before you both head that way.  He checks his suit and hair in the hallway mirror and steps into the waiting elevator.  The two of you step into the third floor office precisely at 1:30.  

Everyone in the office is already standing at attention and bows as soon as you enter.  Only moments after five people stand in front of you.  The four interns and their supervisor bow and greet Minwoo again.  “Thank you so much for taking the time to greet the new interns sir.”  The supervisor says.  

“No problem at all!  It’s important that they know who it is they’re working for.”  Minwoo sends them a charming smile that makes the exact effect he wanted. The two girls visibly swoon and the two men smile awkwardly in return.  “More importantly is you know miss Y/L/N my secretary, she’s what really keeps this company ticking.”  Minwoo turns and gestures to you.

The four bow and greet you individually.  One of them sticks out to you more than the others.  The way his hand trembles a bit when he bows to you and the way his large doe eyes can’t seem to stop staring leaves an impression of innocence.  It’s fairly distracting the way he keeps stealing glances at you while Minwoo continues to speak to them.  A few of them you’re pretty sure aren’t glances at your face.  Was it wrong to think it was cute?  

Minwoo finishes his rousing speech and you’re ready to leave.  “Oh sir, the office is holding a small party to welcome the interns tonight if you’d like to join us.  I’ll send Y/N an e-mail of the details.”  The supervisor informs you before you can leave.  “Very good, hopefully I’ll see you there then.”  Minwoo beams with that sinister grin.  You know exactly what he’s thinking.  

At 4:55 you’re by Minwoo’s desk with the tablet in hand.  “The party is at 8:30 dear so please be at my door around 7:45.  I’ll have Mrs. Chang bring down a new dress for you around 6.”  He finishes off what he needs for you to do and is out the door.  

Once Minwoo was sure that you would stay at the company as his secretary he had asked you to move into the same apartment building.  It made last minute work and your night flings a lot easier.  Simply saying it was more efficient and he loved that.  He lives in the top penthouse suite and you live two floors below.

You’re in front of Minwoo’s apartment door at 7:43.  He answers a moment after you ring the bell.  You knew he would be ready to go once you arrived.  “Hello dear, you look lovely as usual.”  He adds while looking you over.  

The dress he sent is a flowy pink cocktail with silver heels and a silvery satin shawl for your bare arms.  Your hair in a low chignon and shimmering pink eye make-up finish the look.  It is incredibly feminine just the way he likes you to be.  

Minwoo makes sure the passcode is set to lock the door and then you head for the lobby.  The driver is waiting in front of the building like usual and helps you to get in.  It takes around twenty minutes to get to the party venue and it’s spent in comfortable quiet.  The way Minwoo has a wide grin across his face and keeps a hand on your thigh is all you need to know how fun tonight is going to be.   

It’s not good for his image as the boss if he’s the first to arrive at the party.  Of course you arrive exactly 10 minutes after it starts.  A majority of the company workers are spread through the familiar room.  It’s a venue they often use for this sort of party.  

A large open room with wall to ceiling windows on one side overlooking the city.  In the center is a table of all kinds of finger foods.  Tall tables line the windows while short tables and sofas are mixed around the room.  The bar lines the right wall and a karaoke stage sits in the far corner.

As soon as the two of you enter the room quiets for a moment.  Minwoo leads you straight to the bar, everyone bowing in your direction as you pass.  The bartender pours the two glasses of wine Minwoo orders then passes them over the counter.  There’s an unspoken rule that no one starts a conversation with Minwoo before he’s gotten his glass.  

Once the two of you have your glasses in hand the usual party flow begins.  The upper management small talks with Minwoo, then the lower management.  Finally he’ll go to speak to certain workers who he has an interest with lately.  Someone who’s moving up or has done an excellent job of something.  

Tonight that group is the interns.  The four of them are chatting with some of the older interns when the two of you approach.  They all bow and greet the two of you equally.  “Good to see you all could make it.  I’d like to welcome you again to the company for the year.”  Minwoo starts with a genuine smile.

Their reactions are the same as they were this morning.  The two girls giving Minwoo heart eyes, the two boys standing proper, and the one wide eyed boy focusing more on you than his boss.  Maybe it’s the wine but you let yourself take a better look at him.  

He has such a young and pretty face that doesn’t exactly match the sharpness of his jaw line.  Matter of fact it doesn’t match the rest of his body much either.  Even through the button up shirt and slacks you can tell that he’s very well built.  

Minwoo also notices the boy’s physique.  “What’s your name son?”  The boys turns his attention to Minwoo for the first time with the question.  “Jeon Jungkook, sir.”  He speaks politely.  “Jungkook-ah, you’ve got quite a good body.  You must work out a lot or play a sport?”  

“Yes, Sir.  Mostly just going to the gym.”  Jungkook answers with his head lowered.  “That’s good to know.  I’m always looking for extra people on our sports teams.”  Minwoo looks thoroughly pleased.  New blood to help his teams win and playing with his workers gives him another place to show off.  

Jungkook agrees quickly to join any game they play.  Minwoo asks the older interns to take care of the new ones then the two of you move on.  The rest of the evening goes similarly.  At some point you step away from Minwoo to chat with some of the other secretaries.  It’s good you to keep in the loop about office gossip and projects.  

A few hours in and two glasses of wine later you’re about to ask Minwoo if he would like to head home.  That’s when the interns start causing a bit of a ruckus.  The new interns were playing rock paper scissors.  The loser, one of the girls, walked up onto the karaoke stage.  You had almost forgotten the company tradition of making the interns start the karaoke.   

That was usually Minwoo’s cue to leave.  The office workers started to really party and let loose once the singing started.  Minwoo is a great boss.  He knows how to socialize well with his workers and also knows when to give them space.  

A popular song starts on the machine and the girl starts to sing along.  You tune her out and walk over to Minwoo.  He doesn’t break his conversation when you arrive at his side.  There’s a slight nod and wink in your direction.  

That’s the cue you’ve been waiting for to send the pick up text to the driver.  As usual the driver say he’ll bring the car right around.  Out of the corner of his eye Minwoo catches the small nod you give in answer.  

In a natural manner Minwoo wraps up his conversation and gives his farewell.  The two of you step away and he hooks his arm in yours.  The gesture is innocent but it still surprises you.  You make barely two steps before you hear the opening to a familiar song beging on the karaoke machine.  

You’d know that song anywhere.  It’s one of you absolute favorites.  Out of curiosity you stop and turn back.  On that small stage of course is Jeon Jungkook.  In the past few hours he’s rolled the sleeves up and undone a few buttons of his dress shirt.  Just that extra bit of skin makes you see the boy a bit differently.  His sharp collarbones and veiny lines of his forearms aren’t what you were expecting from the nervous looking young man.

Then you’re completely shocked again by his voice.  His tone is so different from the original singer of this song but in a twisted way you almost prefer his.  He has a delicious soft tone to his voice that sinks into your skin.  

Here’s a boy who has been staring at you all day like God himself was in the room, singing your favorite song, and looking like absolute sin.  You don’t know how to act for a moment.  You’re enraptured by his crooning voice like he’s stopped time for everyone but himself.  

You really can’t figure it out and you look to his face for some sort of answer.  It’s not exactly an answer, more of a complication.  You look up away from his body to find him staring at you all the same.  Your eyes lock and he holds your gaze to continue his beautiful song.  

He’s nearly on the second chorus by the time Minwoo gives a light tug to your arm.  The time spell Jungkook had over the room is broken.  You look to Minwoo who’s giving you a knowing yet curious expression.  You clear your throat and bashfully let him continue walking you out of the venue and to the waiting car.

Loud cheers ring through the room when Jungkook finishes his song and heads back to the table of other interns.  He’s blushing at all the compliments and he politely declines the demands for an encore performance.  Instead he settles in and keeps sipping on beers and enjoying his new co-workers.  

Half an hour later the girls all go to the restroom leaving the guys at the table.  Jungkook clears his throat to get the attention of Namjoon the guy next to him.  He’s one of the older interns from earlier this year.   

“Hyung, can I ask you something?”  Jungkook is sheepish again.  Namjoon turns to him.  “Of course.  What’s up?”  He gives an easy smile that helps Jungkook relax.  “I’m just curious.  Does Secretary Y/L/N always go everywhere with CEO Lee?”  

Namjoon looks a bit confused by this question as it seems obvious.  “Well of course she does.  That’s her job.”  He answers.  That’s not really what Jungkook meant to ask.  He tries again to be a bit more specific.  

“Well yeah at work but like right now they aren’t working but she left with him?  Does she always come and go with him?”  He knows the exact question he wants to ask but he’s going the long way about it.  

Namjoon looks at him like he’s lost his marbles and nods slowly.  “Well yeah. This is a work function so technically it’s work?”  Jungkook had heard the Namjoon was considered a genius but right now he seems a bit dim.  Jungkook sighs internally then just goes out and asks what he wants to know.  

“So are they like, dating?  Do you know?”  He asks in as cool of a tone as he can manage.  Finally Namjoon gets what’s going on here.  “Oh… um not exactly dating.  No one is really sure what they are but just consider them both as taken.”  Namjoon watches Jungkook carefully.  

“What does that even mean?  Are they dating or not?”  Jungkook huffs a bit annoyed.  Namjoon smirks at the boys reaction.  “If you’re interested in Secretary Y/L/N get uninterested right now.  She won’t ever look at anyone but CEO Lee I can guarantee you that.”

That’s definitely not the answer Jungkook wanted to hear.  There’s also no way he’s just going to give up like this.  He’s not even really started.  Namjoon doesn’t like the defiant look in Jungkook’s eye.  “I’m serious man.  So many guys in this company have tried to get her but she just walks all over them and tosses them away like trash.  Don’t get your huge pride deflated by the ice queen.”  

Jungkook and Namjoon let the conversation drop after that but Jungkook thinks long and hard about it even after he’s back home.  There’s no way in hell he’s going to just give up.  He can’t do it.  Jeon Jungkook doesn’t back down on anything.  He just needs a really good plan to melt this “ice queen.”

-E.최

Chapter 2